Lathyrus nissolia L.
L. nissolia L., Sp. PL ed. 1 (1753) 729; Hayek, Prodr. FL Penins. Balc. I (1926) 812; Ball, FL Eur. П (1968) 143 — Тяснолистно секирче Fam: Leguminose Juss. (Fabaceae)
Genus: Lathyrus L.
Species:Lathyrus nissolia L.
English Name: Grass vetchlingDescription:
Annual plants. Stems single or several, 15.0 - 50.0 cm tall, erect or ascending, unbranched, rarely slightly branched at the base, with four edges, without wings. Petiole and leaf axis form 4.0 - 14.0 mm long and 1.0 - 5.0 (6.0) mm wide filodium, without leaflets and tendrils; filodium are linear lance, with parallel streaks, erect or slightly removed from the stem, or bare-fitting short bristly fiber at the base, often with just tendril. inflorescence handles shorter or longer than filodium. Bracts 0.5 - 2.0 mm long, fibrous, shorter than blossom stalk. Blossom handles 2.0 - 3.0 mm long. Blossoms single or 2 - 4, (6.0) 9.0 - 10.0 (12.0) mm long. Calyx 1/2 - 1/3 of the length of the corolla; teeth lanceolate to lance elliptical, almost equal to each other, shorter than tube or nearly equal to it; tube vague veins on the surface, short off-standing semi bristly fiber. Corolla naked or bristly hairy, purple or purple violet. Flag 10.0 - 11.0 mm long and 9.0 - 10.0 mm wide, in the lower third of suddenly narrowed to 2.0 - 3.0 mm long finger nail, leaf blade almost round up to unclear rhombic, to the top concave. Wings equal to the flag or just shorter, at the base with 1/3 length narrow finger nail and 2 times shorter than his tongue, leaf blade incorrectly triangular eliptical. The keel 6.0 - 9.0 mm long, 2.0 - 3.0 mm wide, the middle constricted in a narrow finger nail, shorter than the wings, leaf blade triangular elliptical bent at an obtuse angle, 2 times longer than the nail . Beans 3.0 - 5.0 cm long and 2.0 - 4.0 mm wide, light brown, straight, naked or fitting bristly fiber. Seeds 12 - 20, spherical, brown to black, finely striated, finely coverd with small warts, with network of veins; scar 1/12 - 1/15 of the circumference of the seed flat, elliptical. Volatility 1 Single blossoms ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
1* Blossoms 2 (4) ................................................................................... var. biflorus Kož., var. n. in Addenda. Sofia region (Suhodol village).
2 Beans and filodium fitting bristly fiber var. nissolia; L. nissolia var. genuinus Aschers. et Graebn., Syn. VI (2) (1910) 1024 Black Sea coast (Varna), Northeastern Bulgaria, Fore (Lovech, Gabrovo), Sofia district, Vitosha area Thracian valley ............................................................... 3
2* Beans and filodium naked ............ var. glabrescens Freyn, Verh. Zool. Bot. Ges. Wien, XXVII (1877) 325; Hayek, 1. c.; L. nissolia var. gramineus (Kern.) Aschers. et Graebn., Nordost. Flachl. (1898) 454; Stoyan. Steph. China., Fluoro. Bul. Ed. 4, 11 (1967) 653; L. gramineus, Kern., Österr. Bot. Zeitschr. XIII (1863) 188.
3 Upright plants ............ f. nissolia. Coast (Varna), North EastBulgaria, Fore (Lovech, Troyan, Gabrovo), Sofia district (Lulin), Vitosha Region (Vitosha), Eastern Rhodopes (Ivaylovgrad), Thracian Lowland (Plovdiv, Asenovgrad, Harmanli region).
3* At least basically upright plants. . . . f. ascendens Kož., f. n. in Addenda. Northeast Bulgaria (Razgrad), Fore (Vratsa), Middle Rhodopes (in the vicinity of Asenovgrad).From: „Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976)
* * * Grass vetchling is a tall, erect annual with and angled stem to about 90cm. When in flower this striking plant is easy to identify, as it is the only member of the pea family with long narrow leaves (actually pseudo-leaves) so grass like that, when not in flower, it can be a real challenge to pick it out from the surrounding grass. The crimson-pink flowers are held solitarily or in pairs on long stalks from May to July.
Habitat Information
Grass vetchling is a native annual of open and often disturbed grasslands particularly chalk and chalky clay soils. Habitats include grassy banks, roadside verges, woodland rides and coastal grasslands
Growing Information
Easy to grow from seed but germination can take some time due to hard coat dormancy. Germination can be speeded up with a light scarification.
From: Emorsgate SeedsThe grass like leaves of this plant are so similar to the grasses surrounding it that you would have no chance of finding it without flowers in bloom. Even when you find the flowers it is difficult to pick out the rest of the plant from its surroundings.
Lathyrus nissolia is mostly a central and southern English plant. The records thin dramatically as you go north and there is very little to be found in Scotland and none in Ireland. In Wales it is found nearer the coast.
From: British Wild Plant
Flowering Time: Blooms: VI - VII, fruitful: VII - VIII.
References:„Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976), Emorsgate Seeds, British Wild Plant
Distribution in Bulgaria: Through grassy meadows and degraded areas in the plains, foothills and lower mountain belt. Widespread up to 1000 m altitude. (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution:Western, Central and Southern Europe (east to Crimea), the Caucasus, Southwest Asia (Asia Minor), North Africa.
Conservation status and threats: not protected species in Bulgaria by the Biodiversity Law. Законодателство на Република България: Закон за биологичното разнообразие
Medical plant: it is not - http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2134916096
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