GRASS VETCHLING

Lathyrus nissolia

Pea Family [Fabaceae]

month8may month8jun month8june month8jul month8july

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8bicolour
flower
flower8red
flower
flower8purple
morph
morph8zygo
petals
petalsZ5
stem
stem8round
stem
stem8hollow

2014, Swanage, Poole, England. Photo: © Peter Andrews
Flowers in singles on the end of a very long and thin branch.


2014, Swanage, Poole, England. Photo: © Peter Andrews
The flower stalk is however quite short, brownish, and joins the long thin branch where two grossly-unequal bracts splay out.


6th June 2019, Durlston Country Pk, Swanage, Dorset. Photo: © Jill Stevens
The leaves look very grass-like, hence the name, but there is a difference - these leaves are a slightly brighter green than the surrounding grass leaves - at least for the grass in this photo. It grows up to 90cm high.


5th July 2015, Rimrose Valley Pk, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
With leaves so indistinguishable from those of grass as to be almost un-findable in grassland (its habitat) without the presence of the crimson-red flowers.


5th July 2015, Rimrose Valley Pk, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Full-frontal of flower: large banner in foreground, two shorter wings partially hiding between two smaller pale-pink to white keels which in their turn hide the stigma and stamens. Hairless apart from short thinner flower petiole (stalk).


5th July 2015, Rimrose Valley Pk, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Reverse view shows that the pale-pink to white keels are quite long and not well hidden.


5th July 2015, Rimrose Valley Pk, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Distinctly kinked flower presentation by means of the off-axis wedding of the stalk to the sepal tube. The flower itself also has a pronounced curve. Sepal tube has 5 teeth as is usual in the Fabaceae family. Two tiny stipules on main stalk where the thinner upwardly-curved flower petiole emerges.


5th July 2015, Rimrose Valley Pk, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Seed pods straight-ish and narrow and between 30 - 60mm long. The leaves, which are up to 15cm long, are very grass-like, being a simple blade with two tiny stipules at the base (not shown).


5th July 2015, Rimrose Valley Pk, Sefton Coast. Photo: © RWD
Only the seed pod on the left belongs to Grass Vetchling; the other shorter and fatter seed pod belongs to a Tare, possibly Hairy Tare (Vicia hirsuta).


2014, Swanage, Poole, England. Photo: © Peter Andrews
The grass-like leaves and the long thin branch at which the single flower is attached at the far end. The leaf emerges at the junction of flowering stem and has 5 paler longitudinal stripes.


Similar to :

  • Hairy Vetchling (Lathyrus hirsutus) but that has blue-purple flowers, is hairy, possesses tendrils, and has pairs of much shorter leaflets.
  • Yellow Vetchling (Lathyrus aphaca) but that has yellow flowers, pairs of very wide but very short leaves and tendrils.
  • Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis) which also has yellow flowers, a pair of lanceolate leaflets with two long stipules with a tendril.
Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The deep-red pea-type flower together with the grass-like leaf blade with tiny usually inconspicuous stipules at the base. Lacking tendrils and without wings on the stem. Stem hollow and square-ish...

A native growing in grassy places. It is local in both England and between South Wales and North Lincolnshire. Frequent only in the south it is a rare casual elsewhere.


  Lathyrus nissolia  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Fabaceae  

Distribution
 family8Pea family8Fabaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Lathyrus
Lathyrus
(Peas)

GRASS VETCHLING

Lathyrus nissolia

Pea Family [Fabaceae]