Nomenclature

Species name:

Lathyrus cicera   L.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

Common name:

Chickling Vetch,
Red Vetchling,
Red Peavine,
Flat Pod Peavine

Maltese name:

Ġilbiena tas-Serp

Plant Family:

Leguminosae / Fabaceae   (Pea Family)

Name Derivation:

Lathyrus = from the Greek lathyros, an old name for "pea" (Greek);

cicera = A classical Latin name for the chick-pea (Ceci bean or Garbanzo), referring to the fact that this Lathyrus species resembles the common chick-pea (Cicer arietinum) (Latin).

Synonyms:

Lathyrus aegaeus, L. dubius, L. erythrinus, L. purpureus

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Annual

Habitat:

In fallow fields or field tracks, rocky grounds rich in soil.

Sources in Malta:

Uncommon. Few specimen found at Buskett (Ta' Laroka) and Wied Qirda. Was more common in the past.

Plant Height:

20-80cm

Flowering Time:

Mar-Apr

This annual and erect plant is glabrous or with sparse short fine hairs. It forms a pair of short sessile stipules from which axils grow the leaflet pair and a solitary flower, both stalked. The stipules are about 15mm long and 4mm wide with a lanceolate shape and pointed tip (caudate) and a sagittate (arrow-like) base.

The leaves consist of a pair of leaflets which are linear (or slightly lanceolate) in shape and up to 100cm long and 5mm wide. From the leaf petiole, there is also a set of 3 curly tendrils, about 4cm long or more. They have a common stalklet which joins them to the leaf petiole. The stalklet of the tendrils is the longest, followed by that of the flower (the peduncle), while the leaf petiole is the shortest.

The flowers are rather conspicuous since of their salmon-red colour, a colour which is not shared in many other flowers of this family. The flower consists of an actinomorphic (symmetrical) calyx made of 5 narrow teeth of equal size and longer from the corolla tube and a typical pea-form corolla measuring between 10-15mm long. The standard and wings of the corolla are same colour (reddish) while the keel is more light (lilac-pink) but this is mostly covered by the wings.

The female reproductive parts consists of a tube-shaped ovary with a long and curved up style and swollen stigma. A cluster of monodelphous stamen emerging around the ovary makes the male reproductive organs. They have cream-coloured filaments and anthers with yolk-yellow pollen.

The glabrous legume is a rather flattened and green structure at first, which becomes broader with seeds and more reddish at a later fruiting stage. It has a curved pointed tip which is located along the upper (dorsal) margin. This margin is also channeled along most of the pod. The legume is roughly 30mm long x 8mm high x 2mm wide and holds 2-6 ovoid seeds.

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