| Fabaceae |
|---|
Vicia cracca L. subsp. cracca |
Vicia cracca L. subsp. cracca |
Vicia cracca L. subsp. cracca |
Vicia L. |
| V. cracca L., Sp. PL 735 (1753). Davis in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 29: 314 (1969). Maps 57, 58. p. 285. Slender perennial, erect or climbing, glabrescent or adpressed-hairy. Leaflets (5-)8-16(-20)-paired, 0.8-4 cm, ovate-oblong to linear; stipules slender, semi-hastate, nearly always entire; tendrils branched. Peduncle shorter or longer than leaf; raceme 10-40-flowered, dense or lax. Flowers 13-18(-20) mm, violet or lilac (rarely white). Calyx 3-6 mm, scarcely gibbous, often purplish, the lowest tooth shorter to slightly longer than tube. Limb of standard subequal to nearly twice as long as claw. Style laterally compressed. Legume 20-30 mm, always glabrous. Seeds several. A very polymorphic species, in which it is particularly, difficult to distinguish between inherited variation and phenotypic plasticity. The complex is at its most variable in the Balkans, Anatolia and Caucasia. The five subspecies recognised for Turkey form a partly discontinuous series, subsp. cracca and subsp. steno-phylla being the two extremes. Although the V. cracca complex has received bio-systematic study in Europe, almost nothing is Known about the group's cytogenetics in Anatolia and Caucasia. The following account is tentative; the eastern limits of the subspecies remain somewhat uncertain, partly due to the questionable status of several 'species' recognised in Caucasia. Specimens of V. cracca sensu lato have often been confused with V. villosa (q.v.). 1. Flowers large, very dark violet, 13-18 mm long; peduncle short, usually 2-4 cm, as long as the conferred raceme: plant erect, with leaflets usually 8-10-paired. oblong-lanceolate to oblong, often subsericeous; limb of standard 1-4/3 × as long as claw: legume as in subsp. qerardii subsp. atroviolacea 1. Plants without the above combination of characters, the peduncles and racemes being longer, and the flowers paler 2. Standard 10-14 mm, limb subequal or equal to claw, violet-blue: leaflets 10-25 mm. widest at or below the middle, or parallel-sided; legume ( 17-)20-25 mm, stipe included in the calyx tube or shortly exserted; plant erect or climbing, with peduncles usually 4-7 cm 3. Stems weak, climbing, adpressed-pubescent; leaflets 5-12-paired; lowest calyx tooth subequal to tube, lanceolate; legume oblong, with the obliquely truncate ends almost parallel, narrowed into a short stipe included in calyx tube subsp. cracca 3. Stems self-supporting, erect, patently or adpressed-pubescent; leaflets 12-16(-20)-paired; lowest calyx tooth as long to slightly longer than tube, subulate;legume obliquely oblong, more gradually narrowed into a stipe equal to or slightly longer than calyx tube subsp. gerardii 2. Standard 11-18 mm, limb slightly longer to up to 2 x as long as claw, mauve, lilac or violet blue (rarely white); leaflets 10-40 mm, always parallel-sided; legume 22-30 mm, with an exserted stipe; plants erect with peduncles 4-13 cm 4. Leaflets oblong-linear, 15-40x2-5 mm, usually obtuse; habit stouter and less twiggy than in subsp. stenophylla; inflorescence rather dense, flowers nodding; limb of standard 3/2-2 x as long as claw; legume obliquely oblong subsp.tenuifolia 4. Leaflets narrowly linear, 10-30 x0.5-2(-3) mm, acute; habit bushy, with branches and leaf rachides slender and rigid; inflorescence usually lax, flowers often more spreading; limb of standard up to 3/2 x as long as claw; legume obliquely oblanceolate, more attenuate below than in any other subspecies subsp. stenophylla subsp. cracca. Figure 3, p. 323. Syn: V. cracca L. subsp. vulgaris Gaudin, Fl. Helv. 4:505 (1829). Ic: Guinea, op. cit. 106, t. (1953); Ross-Craig, Draw. Brit. P1. 7: t. 61 (1954). Fl. 4-8. Deciduous scrub, hedgerows, moist meadows, 100- 2270 m. Described from Europe (Hb. Cliff! Hb. Linn. 906/11!). Turkey-in-Europe, N. & E. Anatolia. A2(E) Istanbul: Sariyer to Kilyos, Rech. 21945! A3 Sakarya: Arifiye, E of Sapanca, 100 m, D. 42042! A7 Giresun: Bala-bandağlari, above Tamdere, 1800 m, D. 20480! A8 Trabzon: N. slope of Soğanli Da., 2000-2200 m, D. 32186! Rize: d. Ikizdere, Yetimhoca (Çimil), 2100 m, D. 21000! Gümüşane: Bayburt, 2000 m, Alpsy (ANKO 2411)! A9 Kars/Erzurum: W of Karaurgan, Winter 261! B9 Ağri: d. Suluçem (Musun), 5 km E of Balik G., 1250 m, D. 47074! 20 miles E of Ağri, 1520 m, Furse 3601 (leaves narrowly linear). B8/B9 Erzurum/Ağri: Ağri-Erzurum road, Winter 475b! C9 Hakkari: Koçanis, 2270 m, D. 24304b! Most of Europe, Caucasia. Euro-Sib. element. Sturdy material from N.E. Anatolia (A7, A8), assigned here to subsp. cracca. is close to plants distinguished in Caucasia as V. grossheimii Ekvthym. (cf. Fl. Gruzii 5: t. 229, 1949). A canes-cent, nearly erect flowering specimen from the Amanus (C5 Hatay: d. Belen, Karlik Tepe nr Soğuk Oluk, 900 m. D. 27035!) is intermediate between subsp. cracca and gerardii. |