Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2021) Field with pond out of Horton Wood, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. Nothing else quite like it given these flowers in a spike. The flowers can range from blue-ish, to purple like this one.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (20/08/2023) West Mill Lane, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex (footpath by stream leading to waterworks). Close up of a few of the flowers up the flower spike.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (20/08/2023) West Mill Lane, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex (footpath by stream leading to waterworks).
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2021) Field with pond out of Horton Wood, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2021) Field with pond out of Horton Wood, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. Often droops over due to the weight of the flowers on the stem. The similar Fodder Vetch has hairy stems, not hairless (or relatively so) like this.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2021) Field with pond out of Horton Wood, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. Here's a mass of it!
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2021) Field with pond out of Horton Wood, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. These weird-looking things are actually the developing flower buds. The one at the bottom in a slightly more advanced state of development than the one at the top.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (20/07/2021) Southbank Equestrian, New Hall Lane, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex (arena bank adjacent to field). The calyx tends to be a similar colour to the flower or slightly darker as here.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (04/07/2019) Southbank Equestrian, Henfield (arena bank adjacent to field).
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (04/07/2019) Southbank Equestrian, Henfield (arena bank adjacent to field). Or they can be a mix from pink at the tope to bluer further down.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (20/06/2022) Footpath from Tottington Wood on track up to house on the way to Edburton, W Sussex. I think they go bluer as the flowers age.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (20/06/2022) Footpath from Tottington Wood on track up to house on the way to Edburton, W Sussex. This is a really pale specimen.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2022) Footpath rear of water treatment plant, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. This is a really pale specimen.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2022) Footpath rear of water treatment plant, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2022) Footpath rear of water treatment plant, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. And a much pinker specimen.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (20/08/2023) West Mill Lane, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex (footpath by stream leading to waterworks). You can see a new set of leaflets emerging at the top - very downy-hairy when young.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (18/09/2021) Southbank Equestrian, New Hall Lane, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex (arena bank adjacent to field). Classic leaves - they have lots of paired leaflets probably coinciding with the many flowered heads. Leaves vary a bit in shape - can be a bit wider or narrower than this.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (18/09/2021) Southbank Equestrian, New Hall Lane, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex (arena bank adjacent to field). Leaflets become narrower further up the stem but this is a young plant as the tendrils are not yet full formed, so the leaves will probably widen as they age.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2021) Field with pond out of Horton Wood, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. Very convoluted tendrils, compared to other vetches, so you end up with a massive tanglement with the surrounding flowers.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (20/08/2023) West Mill Lane, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex (footpath by stream leading to waterworks). Classic seed pods.
Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) (17/07/2021) Field with pond out of Horton Wood, Small Dole, Henfield, W Sussex. Young seed pods - you can just see the developing seeds - the pods are flat at the moment but will bulge out as the seeds develop, and the whole pod will end up brown.
