Vicia caroliniana Walter

Carolina Vetch; Pale Vetch; Wood Vetch

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Carolina Vetch is a native herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama except for the southern-most counties. Carolina Vetch occurs in hardwood forests, on slopes, in ravines, and in rocky woods. It is a perennial with a fibrous root system. Stems are multiple from a root crown, branched at the base, erect to sprawling, climbing by tendrils, and short pubescent to glabrate. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, pinnately compound, terminating in a branched tendril. The leaflets are 10-18, elliptic to lanceolate in outline, entire, and pubescent. Flowers are produced in axillary racemes of +/- 15 loosely spaced flowers. The tubular calyx is pubescent and has 5 triangular lobes. The corolla is papilionaceous and white to pale lavender or pink in color. The fruit is a flattened legume with 5-8 seed.—A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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