Securigera varia (Crown vetch)

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Securigera varia (L.) Lassen

Crown vetch, trailing crown-vetch, axseed, purple crownvetch, axwort, field crownvetch

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Securigera	Latin for “armed with axe,” referring to the shape of the fruit
Species	varia	Diverse, differing

About plant names...

Crown vetch is native to Africa, Asia, and Europe, and is now naturalized in North America. It is often planted on slopes to limit erosion, although studies suggest that it isn’t especially successful at this. In some areas crown vetch is invasive, overcoming native grassland prairies. In appears on roadsides, abandoned fields, and forest edges.

Plants: Plants are perennial vines that form dense mats. Plants are up to 12" (30 cm) in height, sometimes much higher when they climb over other plants. Stems are angular and mostly hairless, 12-79" (30-200 cm) long.

Leaves: Leaves are alternate, 1½-6" (4-16 cm) long. Each leaf is odd pinnate, comprised of 7-25 leaflets that end abruptly in a short, stiff point. The leaflets are sessile and oblong to ovate.

Flowers: Forms umbels of 10-25 pink and white fragrant flowers. Flowers may also be pure white or blue to purple. Each umbel is on a peduncle 1¾-6" (5-15 cm) long. (A peduncle is the part of a flower stalk before it first branches out to support the flowers.)

Fruits: The fruits are legumes—beanlike seed pods—with 3-12 segments, ¾-3" (2-8 cm) long. Each segment contains a single brown seed.

Edibility: Not edible for people. Some animals eat crown vetch. It can be toxic to horses in large quantities.

Online References:

Climbers.lsa.umich.edu

Illinois Wildflowers

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The Bugwood Wiki

The New England Wildflower Society’s GoBotany site

7/18/2017 · Tobyhanna State Park, Pennsylvania
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm)

6/14/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

6/14/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm)

6/14/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4" (14 × 10 cm)

6/14/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

6/19/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 7 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

6/19/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9 cm)

6/19/2011 · New Jersey
≈ 5 × 4½" (13 × 11 cm)

7/2/2017 · Wildlife Pond, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 7 × 5" (17 × 13 cm)

6/26/2015 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 6" (18 × 16 cm)

7/5/2009 · MacDonald-Zachos‘, Milford, Pennsylvania
≈ 10 × 8" (25 × 21 cm)

6/14/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm)

6/20/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Broo, Hollis, New Hampshire

Coronilla varia L.

Securigera varia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 26 Jul 2023.

6/20/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Broo, Hollis, New Hampshire

7/22/2021 · Mitchell Field, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 2 × 2" (5.7 × 5.6 cm)

7/5/2015 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm)

9/28/2013 · Cadillac Mountain, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm)

7/29/2023 · Stansbury Mill Rd, Phoenix, Maryland

7/11/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near NH Line, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 10 × 7" (26 × 17 cm)

7/11/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near NH Line, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

7/27/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

6/19/2011 · New Jersey
≈ 5 × 5" (13 × 13 cm)

6/20/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Broo, Hollis, New Hampshire

7/3/2023 · Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

7/2/2017 · Wildlife Pond, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 11 cm)

6/20/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Broo, Hollis, New Hampshire

6/13/2011 · Great Falls State Park, Washington, DC
≈ 4½ × 3" (11 × 7.9 cm)

7/17/2012 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Wildlife Pond Trail, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 17 × 12" (44 × 29 cm)

7/17/2012 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Wildlife Pond Trail, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 4 × 3" (10 × 8 cm)

Range:

About this map...