Spring Vetch

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / spot causer
epiphyllous, aggregated pycnidium of Phyllosticta coelomycetous anamorph of Phyllosticta viciae causes spots on live leaf of Vicia lathyroides
Remarks: season: 4,10

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Uromyces viciae-fabae var. viciae-fabae parasitises live Vicia lathyroides

Annual, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems less than 1 m tall, Climbing by tendrils, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs glabrous or sparsely glabrate, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules gr een, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules cordate, lobed, or sagittate, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets alternate or subopposite, Leaflets 4, Leaflets 5-9, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Inflorescence sessile or subsessile, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers sessile or nearly so, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing petals auriculate, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel tips obtuse or rounded, not beaked, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Style sharply bent, Style hairy, Style hairy on one side only, Style with distal tuft of hairs, Fruit a legume, Fruit stipitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit exserted from calyx, Valves twisting or coiling after dehiscence, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seed surface wrinkled or rugose, Seeds olive, brown, or black, Seed surface mottled or patchy.

Vicia lathyroides (spring vetch) is a plant species in the bean family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia, and it is known on other continents as an introduced species. It is an annual herb with pealike blue- or purple-tinged flowers about half a centimeter wide and hairless legume pods up to 3 centimeters long.