Purple Broad Vetch

Nile Valley North of Nubia (Delta), Nile Valley North of Nubia (Fayium), Nile Valley North of Nubia, Nubia, Libyan Desert Oases, Nubian Desert Oases, Isthmic Desert, Galala Desert, Mareotic Sector, North Sinai.

Mediterranean region, southwest Asia.

Annual.

Foodplant / spot causer
mostly hypophyllous colony of Ramularia anamorph of Ramularia sphaeroidea causes spots on leaf of Vicia narbonensis

Annual, suberect, stem subglabrous to hirsute. Leaf paripinnately compound, leaflets 4-8, lower leaf generally with 2-4 leaflets; leaflets 1.0-4.5 cm long, c. 7-25 mm broad, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate to obovate, minutely dentate, pilose at the margin; stipules entire to dentate or incised, semihastate to semiorbicular; tendrils simple or branched. Inflorescence a subsessile 1-6-flowered raceme. Calyx 8-13 mm long, mouth slightly oblique, teeth unequal, half as long as the tube. Corolla purple or lilac tinged with cream. Vexillum 16-30 mm long. Fruit 3.5-6.0 cm long, 8-12 mm broad, linear oblong with recurved beak, somewhat tubercled, pubescent to glabrescent, 4-7-seeded.

Distribution: Pakistan; Kashmir; Russia; Central Asia; S.Europe, N.Africa. Cultivated as source of fodder and green manure.

Fl.Per.: March.

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 sparsely to densely hairy, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules toothed or laciniate, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets alternate or subopposite, Leaflets 2, Leaflets 4, Leaflets 5-9, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescences racemes, 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 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 o r 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, Seeds olive, brown, or black, Seed surface mottled or patchy.

Vicia narbonensis, called Narbon bean, Narbon vetch, Narbonne vetch and moor's pea, is a widely distributed species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Madeira and the Mediterranean countries through to Central Asia and the western Himalayas, and has been introduced to central and eastern Europe, and scattered other locations. It has some palatability issues, but has potential as a green manure and forage crop, and for its beans. It is the namesake of the Vicia narbonensis species complex.