VICIA
Vicia
L., Sp. Pl. 2: 734. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5. 327. 1754; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 176. 1879; Ali, Bot. Notiser, 120: 46. 1967; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2. 134. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Bao & Turland, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 560; Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 265.
Herbs, annual or perennial. Stem usually branched, erect, trailing or climbing by means of tendrils, usually slender, wingless. Leaves paripinnate with rachis terminating in a tendril, bristle or mucro, rarely imparipinnate; stipules large, pointed, often toothed or entire at margin; base prolonged below the attachment in a pointed lobe; leaflets 1-13 paired, margin entire. Inflorescence a raceme or flowers in axillary fascicles or solitary; flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous; bracts usually absent or caducous. Calyx +/- campanulate, 5-toothed, teeth mostly unequal, 3 lower teeth longer than the upper, at least 2 teeth less than 2x as long as the tube, often hairy. Corolla of various shades of blue, purple, red, yellow or white, papilionaceous, longer than calyx; vexillum broad and straight, clawed, apex retuse; keel nearly straight, obtuse; shorter than wings. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1); staminal tube oblique at apex; filaments filiform. Monocarpellary, ovary stalked or subsessile, unilocular, ovules 2-8, placentation marginal; style incurved, cylindric, nearly glabrous or pubescent all around in distal part or minutely bearded on the outer face close under the stigma. Legumes oblong to linear, usually compressed, 2-valved, dehiscent along sutures. Seeds 2-8, globose, oblate or oblong, hilum often elongate.
246 species
Vicia faba
Vicia faba
L., Sp. Pl. 2: 737. 1753; Baker in Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 2: 179. 1879; Ali, Bot. Notiser, 120: 56. 1967; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 10: 571; Fl. Pak @ eFloras.org p. 274.
Annual herbs, 30-50 cm tall. Stem erect, thick, glabrous. Stipules hastate or triangular-ovate, 10-25 mm long, margin toothed, black spot present. Leaves paripinnate with 1-3 pairs of leaflets, tendrils absent, rachis ending into mucro; petiole ca. 1 cm and rachis ca. 2.5 cm, both with adaxial channel; leaflets 4-10 cm x 1-4 cm, oblong, elliptic or obovate, glabrous, apex mucronate; petiolule 1 mm long hairy. Flowers solitary axillary, bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, perigynous. Sepals 5, fused, 1-1.5 cm long; cup obliquely campanulate; teeth 5, lower 3 longer (ca. 4 mm) than the 2 upper teeth (1-1.5 mm). Corolla papilionaceous; vexillum ca. 2.4 cm x 1.4 cm, clawed, base narrow, white with purple veins; wings ca. 1.7 cm, white with large dark purple spot, long narrow clawed; keel ca. 1.6 cm, long clawed, white. Stamens 10, diadelphous (9+1), vexillary stamen free; staminal sheath 1.3-1.4 cm long, filaments (free part) filiform; anthers uniform. Ovary stipitate, stipe ca. 2 mm long, ovary ca. 1 cm long, unilocular, ovules 2-4 (-8), placentation marginal; style terete, 3 mm long, distal part hairy with long hairs; stigma simple, black. Legumes stout, 4-5 cm x 0.8-1.0 cm, usually compressed, tomentose, dehiscent along sutures. Seeds 2-4, globose, oblate or oblong, compressed, ca. 8 mm x 5 mm.
Common Names: Broad Bean, Fava Bean, Faba Bean, Horse Bean; Bakla (Hindi)
