Bitter-vetch - Lathyrus linifolius
Short to medium erect, hairless plant with winged stems It has two to four pairs of leaflets. The leaves are linear to elliptical and ending in a point, not a tendril. The flowers are rich crimson-pink, turning bluish and then pale, 10 to 16 mm in long racemes. Pods reddish brown.
Common Vetch and Bush Vetch have similar flowers
Stems winged, no tendrils, 2-4 pairs of leaflets
a photo of the whole plant, showing leaves and stem (RPR)
Found around woodland edge and in damp grassland.
May to October.
Perennial.
Nearly scarce and declining in Leicestershire and Rutland.
It is listed on the current VC55 Rare Plant Register (Hall and Woodward 2022) because of its threat-level |
Leicestershire & Rutland Map
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Species profile
- Common names
- Bitter Vetchling, Bitter-vetch
- Species group:
- Wildflowers
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Fabales
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 18
- First record:
- 18/05/2012 (Nicholls, David)
- Last record:
- 03/12/2024 (Isabel Raval)
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% of records within its species group
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