Vicia bithynica

Bithynian vetch

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Bithynian vetch is a naturalized annual found in the central coastal region of Monterey County in disturbed areas at elevations below 20 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces purple and white to pink flowers in small clusters of one to three blooms. Growing with climbing or ascending hairy stems up to 60 centimeters tall, it has a delicate, sprawling growth habit. Its leaves have 2 to 6 leaflets ranging from 1 to 7 centimeters long, with leaflets shaped from obovate to lanceolate and featuring dentate stipules. The fruit is a narrowly oblong, slightly recurved pod 2.5 to 4.5 centimeters long, bearing 2 to 7 seeds.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: < 20 m

Bioregions: CCo (Salinas, Monterey Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.