Barn Vetch

Our plants conform to Vicia monantha ssp. monantha. Vicia monantha ssp.triflora (Ten.) Burtt & Lewis occurs in Spain, Algeria and Egypt.

Procumbent to erect annual, stern pubescent, hairs appressed. Leaf pinnately compound, leaflets 8-16, 5-30 mm long, 1-8 mm broad, narrowly linear to oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic, obtuse, minutely pubescent; stipules subhastate, bipartite to sparsely dentate; tendril simple or branched. Inflorescence an axillary peduncled raceme, 1-5 flowered. Calyx 3-6 mm long, pubescent, mouth oblique, teeth unequal, shorter than the tube. Corolla violet to blue. Vexillum 10-15 mm long. Fruit 20-35 mm long, 6-8.5 mm broad, oblong-linear, glabrous, 4-6-seeded.

Distribution: Pakistan; Afghanistan; Persia; Arabia; Iraq; Caucasus; Cyprus; Morocco; Turkey.

Fl.Per.: February-April.

Annual, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, 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, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Stipules cordate, lobed, or sagittate, Stipules toothed or laciniate, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets alternate or subopposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx glabrous, 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 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 hairy, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black, Seed surface mottled or patchy.

Vicia monantha, the barn vetch, is a species of annual herb in the family Fabaceae. They are climbers and have compound, broad leaves.