Vicia sativa L. APNI* 
Description: Trailing or climbing annual herb, pubescent to ± glabrous; stems to 1 m long.
Leaves 2–10 cm long; leaflets variable, 4–16, 10–40 mm long, 1–15 mm wide, apex truncate to emarginate, apiculate, white or grey-pubescent to glabrous; stipules 3–8 mm long, mostly lobed with an ovate, yellowish gland.
Flowers 1–4; ± sessile. Calyx 7–20 mm long. Corolla 10–30 mm long, pink to red-purple; standard slightly longer than wings or keel.
Pods 2–8 cm long, 3–12 mm wide; seeds 6–12.
Flowering: Flowers winter–spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread. Native of S Eur. and SW Asia.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *SWP, *NFWP, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *S.A. *W.A.
A variable species, a few intermediate forms occur between the subspecies; subsp. sativa and subsp. cordata can only be separated with certainty if mature pods are present.
Text by C. Gardner & T. A. James
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Leaflets obcordate to oblong, mostly 5–15 mm wide; flowers 17–30 mm long; calyx 12–22 mm long, teeth as long as or longer than calyx tube, acuminate; pods yellow-brown or dark brown, constricted or not constricted between seeds; seeds 3–6.5 mm diam. | 2 |
| Leaflets linear to narrow-elliptic, 1–4 mm wide; flowers 8–18 mm long; calyx 7–10 mm long, teeth shorter than tube; pods 2.5–5 cm long, not torulose, brown turning blackish, usually glabrous; seeds 2.5–4 mm diam. | subsp. nigra |
| 2 | Pods 6–12 mm wide, torulose (cylindrical and ± constricted between seeds), yellow-brown; seeds 4.5–6.5 mm diam. Leaflets obcordate to oblong 12–27 mm long, 5–10 mm wide, apex truncate or emarginate. Corolla 17–30 mm long. Fruits Nov. | subsp. sativa |
| Pods 4–6 mm wide, not torulose, dark brown; seeds 3–5 mm diam. Leaflets obovate to oblong, 13–35 mm long, 10–15 mm wide, apex truncate or emarginate. Corolla 18–26 mm long.
Back to 1 | subsp. cordata |
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***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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