Lathyrus aphaca — yellow vetchling

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Calyx symmetry

  there is only one way to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  • NA
  • the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  no

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary and a hypanthium

  Flower number

  1–2

  Flower petal color

  yellow

  Flower reproductive parts

  the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

  Flower symmetry

  there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched

  Fused stamen clusters

  there are two clusters of fused stamens

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower has a hypanthium

  Inflorescence one-sided

  the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of carpels

  1

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  • there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
  • there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures

  Petal and sepal colors

  yellow

  Petal appearance

  the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal base

  the petal narrows abruptly at the base

  Petal folding in bud

  the petals in bud are arranged in a cycle with edges overlapping like roof shingles (imbricate)

  Petal folds or pleats

  • the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
  • the petals of the flower have folds or plaits on them

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal length

  10–13 mm

  Petal number

  5

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  no

  Sepal and petal color

  the sepals are different from the petals

  Sepal appearance

  the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal color

  green to brown

  Sepal number

  5

  Sepal orientation

  the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the corolla

  Sepal relative length

  the sepal lobes are longer than the fused portion

  Sepal shape

  • the sepal outline is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
  • the sepal outline is roughly triangular

  Sepal texture

  the sepals are either very thin but flexible, like a membrane, or they are leaf-like in texture

  Sepal tip shape

  the sepal tip is acute (is sharply pointed)

  Sepal uniformity

  all the sepals are about the same size

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases

  Stamen morphology

  the stamens within each cycle are the same

  Stamen number

  10

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are attached to one another at or near their bases

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Stigma position

  the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style

  Style petal-like

  the styles are not petal-like

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  NA

  Achene shape

  NA

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  NA

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  • NA
  • the capsule splits by two main valves, teeth or pores

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit cross-section

  the fruit is at least somewhat flattened

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length

  20–40 mm

  Fruit length relative to sepals

  the fruit is longer than its associated sepals

  Fruit locules

  one

  Fruit shape

  • the fruit is ellipsoid (widest in the middle and tapering to each end)
  • the fruit is flat or strongly compressed
  • the fruit is oblanceoloid (narrrow, widest above the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the fruit is obloid (longer than wide and with rounded ends)

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a legume (a fruit that splits into two valves, but only has a single carpel; think of a pea pod)

  Fruit width

  4–7 mm

  Hair type on fruit

  NA

  Hairs on fruit

  the fruits are not hairy

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  the legume has valves that split elastically and coil after they split

  Mericarp length

  0 mm

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Ovary stipe

  • the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
  • the ovary or fruit has a stipe

  Placenta arrangement

  the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Seed number

  2–15

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Wings on fruit

  the fruit does not have wings on it

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  • NA
  • the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

  Lifespan

  the plant lives only a single year or less

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  no

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

  Underground organs

  the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)

• Leaves

  Bracteole edges

  NA

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracteole shape

  NA

  Bracteoles

  there are no bracteoles on the plant

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  0

  Floral bracts

  the flower has one or more bracts associated with it

  Hairs on leaf stalk

  NA

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  NA

  Hairs on upper side of leaf

  NA

  Hooked hairs on underside of leaf

  NA

  Inflated hairs on leaf

  NA

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  NA

  Leaf blade base shape

  NA

  Leaf blade base symmetry

  NA

  Leaf blade bloom

  NA

  Leaf blade edges

  NA

  Leaf blade flatness

  NA

  Leaf blade hairs

  NA

  Leaf blade primary vein pattern

  NA

  Leaf blade surface colors

  • NA
  • the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf blade texture

  NA

  Leaf blade vein pattern

  NA

  Leaf blade veins

  NA

  Leaf duration

  • NA
  • the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf folding in bud

  NA

  Leaf form

  • NA
  • the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf hair orientation

  NA

  Leaf shiny

  NA

  Leaf spines

  NA

  Leaf stalk

  NA

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  NA

  Leaf stalk base

  NA

  Leaf teeth and lobes

  NA

  Leaf tip

  NA

  Leaf type

  NA

  Leaf types

  NA

  Leaf variation

  NA

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  NA

  Specific leaf type

  NA

  Stipels

  there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules

  Stipule edges

  the stipule margins do not have teeth

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipule fused to leaf stalk

  the stipules are not fused to the petioles

  Stipule length

  10–50 mm

  Stipule shape

  the stipules are another shape than the choices given

  Stipules

  the plant has stipules

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • meadows or fields

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of a smell

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  the tendrils are not branched

  Direction of stem hairs

  NA

  Flowering stem cross-section

  the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hair between stem nodes

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Hairs between stem nodes

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Plant height

  30–100 cm

  Stem bloom

  the stem has a powdery or waxy film on it that can be rubbed away

  Stem hair distribution

  NA

  Stem nodes swollen

  the stem is not swollen at the nodes

  Stem orientation

  the stems are upright or angled outwards

  Stem roughness between nodes

  the stem does not feel rough

  Stem spacing

  the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together

  Tendril origin

  the tendril is derived from a leaf or leaflet

  Tendrils

  the plant has tendrils

  Wings on stem

  the stem does not have wings on it

Wetland status

Not classified

In New England

From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key