What family does Vicia villosa Roth belong to?

Vicia villosa Roth (Vicia villosa Roth) belongs to the family Fabaceae, order Fabales, in the kingdom Plantae. You can identify it offline using the iNature app.

Can I identify Vicia villosa Roth without internet?

Yes. The iNature app uses on-device AI to identify Vicia villosa Roth and over 100,000 other species completely offline — no internet connection required. Download free on iOS.

How to Identify Vicia villosa Roth | Species ID Guide

Q: How to identify Vicia villosa Roth?

Vicia villosa (hairy vetch) is a cultivated legume native to Europe and West Asia, often classified as invasive outside its range.

About Vicia villosa Roth

Nomenclature and Native Range

Vicia villosa Roth, commonly called hairy vetch, fodder vetch, or winter vetch, is a legume native to parts of Europe and western Asia.

Cultivation Uses

It is cultivated for use as a forage crop, fodder crop, cover crop, and green manure.

Non-Native Distribution in North America

Though not native to North America, it grows in every U.S. state and most Canadian provinces.

Invasive Status in the U.S.

Multiple U.S. states including Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington classify it as invasive.

Global Invasive Status

It is also considered invasive in Japan and in non-native regions of Europe.

Similar Species Distinction

Hairy vetch is very closely related to tufted vetch (Vicia cracca); the most distinct visible difference between the two species is that tufted vetch has a smooth stem.

Common Name Overlap

The species Vicia hirsuta is also sometimes referred to as hairy vetch.

Recognized Subspecies

Five subspecies of Vicia villosa are currently recognized: Vicia villosa ssp. ambigua (Guss.) Kerguelen, which is also known as ssp. elegantissima and ssp. pseudocracca; Vicia villosa ssp. eriocarpa (Hausskn.) P.W.Ball; Vicia villosa ssp. microphylla (d'Urv.) P.W.Ball; Vicia villosa ssp. varia (Host) Corb., which is also known as ssp. dasycarpa; and Vicia villosa ssp. villosa.

Agricultural Use in the U.S.

In the United States, hairy vetch is widely used by organic farmers as a winter cover crop and in no-till farming.

Beneficial Agricultural Traits

It is valued for this use because it is winter hardy and can fix up to 200 pounds per acre of atmospheric nitrogen.

Cultivation Disadvantages

There are two key disadvantages of hairy vetch for commercial production agriculture: a portion of its seeds are hard seeds, and it tends to shatter seeds early in the growing season.