Vicia-tenuifolia_6

Description:

Vicia tenuifolia Roth, syn.: Vicia cracca L. ssp. tenuifolia (Roth) GaudinEN: Bramble Vetch, Fine-leaf Vetch, DE: Schmalblttrige Vogelwick, Schmalblatt-Wicke, Feinblatt-Vogel-WickeSlo.: drobnolistna graicaDat.: May 24. 2012Lat.: 45.53759 Long.: 13.89983Code: Bot_621/2012_DSC9377Habitat: Grassland, moderately inclined mountain slope, south aspect; calcareous ground, sunny and rather dry place; elevation 390 m (1.280 feet); average precipitations 1.300 -1.400 mm/year, average temperature 11-12 deg C, Sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical region. Substratum: soil.Place: Kraki rob, ob cesti rnotie Podpe, Notranjska, Slovenia EC.Comment: Plants belonging to genus Vicia is easy to recognized. They all have even numbered tendrilpinnate leaves, that means: the leaf is compound of several pairs of leaflets and has (almost always) a tendril (a slender twinning organ to grasp support for climbing) at its end. Vicia species are often denigrated and considered weeds. But they are beautiful when observed from close.To determine them to species level is more difficult. Plants are variable and several small details must be considered during determination. In addition, there exist many - about 140 species in Europe (ref.:1) and 35 species and subspecies in Slovenia (Ref.2). Most characteristics traits of Vicia tenuifolia are linear or linear-lanceolate, very narrow leaflets (only 2-4 mm wide) and rich inflorescence with up to 30 (35) flowers, which may be longer than 1.5 cm each. Vicia tenuifolia is a Mediterranean West Asian floral element (Ref.3). On favorable places, where it grows massively, it can display really beautiful vistas.Ref.:(1) M.A. Fischer, W. Adler, K. Oswald, Exkursionsflora fr sterreich, Liechtenstein und Sdtirol, LO Landesmuseen, Linz, Austria (2005), p 587.(2) A. Martini et all., Mala Flora Slovenije (Flora of Slovenia - Key) (in Slovenian), Tehnina Zaloba Slovenije (2007), p 322. (3) K. Lauber and G. Wagner, Flora Helvetica, 5. Auflage, Haupt (2012), p 322.