Fabaceae, the pea, bean or legume family.
Description:
Plant:
Climbing vine, to 4' with spikes of pink to violet pea-like flowers.
Flowers:
Pink, violet or blue, tubular, pea-like, about 1/2", on crowded, long-stalked
spike.
Leaves:
Alternate, pinnately compound, generally 8-12 pairs of pointed narrowly ovate
to lanceolate leaflets each 1/2". Leaves with tendrils on the ends.
Fruit:
A narrow pod
Blooming:
May-August
Habitat:
Fields, roadsides,
Comments:
This is a European import, one of several similar vetches in the area.
Various vetches are sometimes grown as cover crops and to reduce erosion;
like other legumes, they harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Where to find it:
Scattered in richer field areas throughout the park.