Herbs perennial. Stems sprawl­ing or climbing, slender, 3–15 dm. Leaves 2–8 cm; tendrils mucronate on proximal leaves, simple or branched on distal leaves; stipules much smaller than leaflets, ligulate, without nectariferous patch; leaflets 10–24, blades elliptic-oblong or oblanceolate to linear, 10–30 × 2–6 mm, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous or abaxial puberulent. Inflorescences 7–20-flowered, 3–10 cm, shorter to longer than subtending leaf rachis. Flowers 8–12 mm; calyx base symmetric, lobes subequal, shor­ter than tube; corolla white with blue tip, banner pan­durate, blade equal to or longer than claw, glabrous; style compressed adaxially, pubescent apically, tufted abaxially. Legumes reddish brown, narrowly oblong, 15–30 × 4–5 mm, obliquely long-tipped, glabrous; stipe to 2 mm. Seeds 5–8 violet brown to black, compressed-subglobose or subglobose, 2–4 mm diam.; hilum encir­cling 3/4 circumference of seed.

Phenology: Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat: Rich alluvial woodlands, woodland borders, roadsides, old fields.
Elevation: 0–1000 m.

Distribution

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Ont., Ala., Ark., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Ky., La., Md., Mich., Miss., Mo., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

Vicia caroliniana possibly intergrades with V. acutifolia where their ranges overlap in Georgia and South Carolina (D. Isely 1990); V. caroliniana and V. pulchella, native to the American Southwest, are almost certainly related.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.