Lentil Vetch

Nile Valley North of Nubia (Fayium). 

Mediterranean region, and southwest Asia.

Moist and cultivated ground.

Annual.

Foodplant / gall
Aceria plicator trifolii causes gall of leaf of Vicia tetrasperma

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe pisi var. pisi parasitises Vicia tetrasperma

Foodplant / parasite
hypophyllous sporangium of Peronospora viciae parasitises yellowed leaflet of Vicia tetrasperma

Decumbent to erect climbing annual, stem appressed pilose to glabrous. Leaf paripinnately compound, leaflets 6-12, 3-22 mm long, 1-3.5 mm broad, narrowly linear to oblanceolate-oblong, obtuse to acute; stipules semisagittate or hastate, tendril mostly simple. Inflorescence a 1-3-flowered axillary, pedunculate raceme. Calyx c. 3 mm long, pilose, lip oblique, teeth unequal, hardly shorter than the tube. Corolla lilac or pale-blue. Vexillum 4-7 mm long. Fruit 8-15 mm long, 2.5-4.5 mm broad, linear-oblong, glabrous, 3-4-seeded.

Distribution: Pakistan; India; Russia; Japan; Persia; throughout Europe, N.W. Africa, S.W.Asia.

Fl.Per.: March.

Annual, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, 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 green, 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 5-9, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, Calyx hairy, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals blue, lav ander to purple, or violet, Petals bicolored or with red, purple or yellow streaks or spots, 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, Seeds olive, brown, or black, Seed surface mottled or patchy.

Vicia tetrasperma (syn. Ervum tetraspermum) the smooth tare, smooth vetch, lentil vetch or sparrow vetch, is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae. It can be invasive.