Securigera varia

Last updated

Crownvetch
20150624Securigera varia3.jpg
Crownvetch in bloom
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Securigera
Species:
S. varia
Binomial name
Securigera varia
(L.) Lassen [1]
Synonyms [1]
  • Coronilla haussknechtiiBoiss.
  • Coronilla hirtaBoiss.
  • Coronilla variaL.

Securigera varia (synonym Coronilla varia), commonly known as crownvetch [2] or purple crown vetch, is a low-growing legume vine. It is native to Africa, Asia and Europe and is commonly used throughout the United States and Canada for erosion control, roadside planting and soil rehabilitation. It has become an invasive species in many states of the US.

Contents

Crownvetch grows 1 to 2 feet (0.30 to 0.61 m) feet tall and bears small clusters of 12 inch (13 mm) pink and white flowers from early summer to late fall. The variety Penngift produces mounds of pink flowers. Crownvetch is a tough, aggressive spreading plant that will crowd out its neighbors in a show garden but is well suited to a sunny bank, where it will grow for decades with little to no fertilizing, mowing, or weeding since the thick foliage prevents weeds from growing amid it. [3] Its deep, tenacious, complex root system [4] and thick, fern-like leaves provide excellent erosion control where it is used as a ground cover. However, this legume has a very long germination period of about 6 months and does not create full coverage until two or three years later. [4]

Taxonomy

Securigera varia was given its first scientific description in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus with the name Coronilla varia. In 1989 Per Lassen proposed moving it to the genus Securigera , [5] which had been created by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1805. [6]

As of 2024 the correct classification of the species is uncertain. In databases like Plants of the World Online, [5] World Flora Online, [7] and the Legume Data Portal, [8] Coronilla varia is listed as the accepted name. On the other hand Securigera varia is listed as the accepted name in resources such as Flora of the Southeastern United States, [9] World Plants, [10] and the New Zealand Organisms Register. [11]

Forage

Crownvetch is toxic to horses and other non-ruminants because of the presence of nitroglycosides. If consumed in large amounts, it can stunt growth, or even lead paralysis and death. However, this is not true for ruminant animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep. [12] These aliphatic nitro compounds are degraded in ruminant digestion and do not affect the animals. [12]

Crownvetch was originally labeled as a poor forage for farm animals but more recently it has been deemed as a good forage when fed as hay to or grazed by ruminants. [13] It consists of 21.7% crude protein and 22.2% crude fibre. [14] In an experiment involving the digestibility of crownvetch in sheep, it was found that the crude protein is 65.6% and the crude fibre is 46.2% digestible which is similar, but slightly less than the digestibility of alfalfa forage. [14] As previously mentioned, this only applies to ruminant animals as it is toxic to non-ruminants. [12]

Crownvetch has been identified as an invasive in several midwestern states. It is very hard to eradicate once established. [15]

It is also a common host-plant for the moth Zygaena ephialtes. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crop rotation</span> Agricultural practice of changing crops

Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area across a sequence of growing seasons. This practice reduces the reliance of crops on one set of nutrients, pest and weed pressure, along with the probability of developing resistant pests and weeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chickpea</span> Species of flowering plant with edible seeds in the family Fabaceae

The chickpea or chick pea is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Its different types are variously known as gram or Bengal gram, chhola, chhana, chana, or channa, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, or Egyptian pea. Chickpea seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes, the oldest archaeological evidence of which was found in Syria.

<i>Onobrychis viciifolia</i> Plant species in the pea family

Onobrychis viciifolia, also known as O. sativa or common sainfoin was an important forage legume in temperate regions until the 1950s. During the Green Revolution it was replaced by high yielding alfalfa and clover species. Due to its anthelmintic properties, common sainfoin is a natural alternative to drugs to control nematode parasitism in the guts of small ruminants. This is the main reason why O. viciifolia returned to the scientific agenda in recent years.

<i>Onobrychis</i> Genus of flowering plants in the bean family Fabaceae

Onobrychis, the sainfoins, are a genus of Eurasian perennial herbaceous plants of the legume family (Fabaceae). About 206 species are presently accepted. The Flora Europaea lists 23 species of Onobrychis; the main centre of diversity extends from Central Asia to Iran, with 56 species – 27 of which are endemic – in the latter country alone. O. viciifolia is naturalized throughout many countries in Europe and North America grasslands on calcareous soils.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasture</span> Land used for grazing

Pasture is land used for grazing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotational grazing</span> System of grazing moving animals between paddocks around the year

In agriculture, rotational grazing, as opposed to continuous grazing, describes many systems of pasturing, whereby livestock are moved to portions of the pasture, called paddocks, while the other portions rest. Each paddock must provide all the needs of the livestock, such as food, water and sometimes shade and shelter. The approach often produces lower outputs than more intensive animal farming operations, but requires lower inputs, and therefore sometimes produces higher net farm income per animal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruminant</span> Hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals

Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The process, which takes place in the front part of the digestive system and therefore is called foregut fermentation, typically requires the fermented ingesta to be regurgitated and chewed again. The process of rechewing the cud to further break down plant matter and stimulate digestion is called rumination. The word "ruminant" comes from the Latin ruminare, which means "to chew over again".

<i>Trifolium repens</i> Flowering plant, bean family Fabaceae

Trifolium repens, the white clover, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the bean family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe, including the British Isles, and central Asia and is one of the most widely cultivated types of clover. It has been widely introduced worldwide as a forage crop, and is now also common in most grassy areas of North America, Australia and New Zealand. The species includes varieties often classed as small, intermediate and large, according to height, which reflects petiole length. The term 'white clover' is applied to the species in general, 'Dutch clover' is often applied to intermediate varieties, and 'ladino clover' is applied to large varieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fodder</span> Agricultural foodstuff used to feed domesticated animals

Fodder, also called provender, is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals, rather than that which they forage for themselves. Fodder includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and legumes. Most animal feed is from plants, but some manufacturers add ingredients to processed feeds that are of animal origin.

<i>Lotus corniculatus</i> Plant species in the pea family

Lotus corniculatus is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to grasslands in temperate Eurasia and North Africa. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil, eggs and bacon, birdsfoot deervetch, and just bird's-foot trefoil, though the latter name is often also applied to other members of the genus.

<i>Leucaena leucocephala</i> Species of legume

Leucaena leucocephala is a small fast-growing mimosoid tree native to southern Mexico and northern Central America and is now naturalized throughout the tropics including parts of Asia.

Denitrobacterium is a genus of Actinomycetota with a single species, in the family Coriobacteriaceae. Originally isolated from the bovine rumen, Denitrobacterium are non-motile and non-spore forming. The only described species in this genus is Denitrobacterium detoxificans. The specific niche of this bacterium in the bovine rumen is theorized to be the detoxification/metabolism of nitrotoxins and miserotoxin.

<i>Securigera</i> Genus of legumes

The genus Securigera contains a number of plant species commonly referred to as crownvetch. It is a segregate of the genus Coronilla. The name Securigera was first published by A. P. de Candolle in 1805 with the single species Securigera coronilla, which is now considered to be a synonym of Securigera securidaca(L.) Degen & Dörfl. (1897), based on the earlier publication of the same taxon as Coronilla securidacaL. in 1753.

<i>Cytisus proliferus</i> Species of legume

Cytisus proliferus, tagasaste or tree lucerne, is a small spreading evergreen tree that grows 3–4 m (10–13 ft) high. It is a well known fertilizer tree. It is a member of the Fabaceae (pea) family and is indigenous to the dry volcanic slopes of the Canary Islands, but it is now grown in Australia, New Zealand and many other parts of the world as a fodder crop.

<i>Zygaena ephialtes</i> Species of moth

Zygaena ephialtes is day-flying species of burnet moth found in Europe. It is typically found in xeric habitats, and populations have recently decreased. It also exhibits Müllerian mimicry with other species, like Amata phegea.

<i>Lolium multiflorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Lolium multiflorum is a ryegrass native to temperate Europe, though its precise native range is unknown.

<i>Gliricidia sepium</i> Species of legume

Gliricidia sepium, often simply referred to as gliricidia or by its Spanish common name madre de cacao, is a medium size leguminous tree belonging to the family Fabaceae. It is an important multi-purpose legume tree, with a native range from Mexico to Colombia, but now widely introduced to other tropical zones.

<i>Desmodium paniculatum</i> Species of legume

Desmodium paniculatum, the panicled-leaf ticktrefoil, narrow-leaf tick-trefoil or panicled tickclover, is a perennial herb in the pea family, Fabaceae. Belonging to a nearly cosmopolitan genus, the panicled-leaf ticktrefoil is a common native to Eastern North America, ranging from Quebec to Florida and as far West as Texas, Nebraska, and Ontario. The sticky loment can be found in disturbed areas that receive plenty of light, such as roadsides, parks, and abandoned fields.

Urochloa eminii, commonly known as Congo grass, is a species of forage crop in the family Poaceae that is grown throughout the humid tropics. With fast growth at the beginning of the wet season due to strong seedling vigour, ease of establishment, good seed production and yield and the ability to suppress weeds it has the ability to become developed into the most important forage crop planted in the tropics. With the aid of genomic tools to research the genotype and gain more information there is the ability to increase breeding programs which are currently rather limited.

<i>Coronilla scorpioides</i> Species of plant

Coronilla scorpioides, the yellow crownvetch, is a species of annual herb in the family Fabaceae. They have a self-supporting growth form and compound, broad leaves. Individuals can grow to 20 cm tall.

References

  1. 1 2 "Securigera varia", The Plant List, retrieved 2014-10-27
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Securigera varia". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  3. "Crownvetch". OSC Seeds. (n.d.). Archived 2014-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  4. 1 2 Gustine, D. L., & Moyer, B. G. (1990). Crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.). In Legumes and Oilseed Crops I (pp. 341-354). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
  5. 1 2 "Coronilla varia L." Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  6. "Securigera DC". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  7. "Coronilla varia L." World Flora Online . Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  8. "Coronilla varia L." Legume Data Portal. Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG). Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  9. Weakley, A.S.; Southeastern Flora Team (2024). "Securigera varia detail". Flora of the Southeastern United States (FSUS). Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  10. Hassler, Michael (17 April 2024). "Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 19.2". World Plants. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  11. New Zealand Organisms Register (2024). "NZOR Name Details - Securigera varia (L.) Lassen". NZOR. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Moyer, BG; Gustine, DL (1984). "Regeneration of Coronilla varia L. (crownvetch) plants from callus culture". Journal of Plant Biotechnology. 3 (2): 143–148. doi:10.1007/BF00033735. S2CID   26268447.
  13. Burns JC, Cope WA. 1974. Nutritive Value of Crownvetch Forage as Influenced by Structural Constituents and Phenolic and Tannin Compounds. Agronomy Journal, 66, p 195-200. Retrieved from https://www.agronomy.org/publications/aj/abstracts/66/2/AJ0660020195
  14. 1 2 Reynolds PJ, Jackson C, Lindahl IL, Henson PR. 1967. Consumption and Digestibility of Crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.) Forage by Sheep. Agronomy Journal, 59, p 589-591. Retrieved from https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/aj/abstracts/59/6/AJ0590060589
  15. Indiana Dept of Natural Resources
  16. "Habitat requirements of conspicuous burnet moth Zygaena ephialtes (Linnaeus, 1767; Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) (PDF Download Available)". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2017-11-16.