Author: آمنه غلامی 
Lathyrus aphaca var. aphaca
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Leila Rasoulzadeh and Mustafa Nemati Pikan
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at Dec 2023
Scientific editor: Masoumeh Izadpanah
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds); dry to 15-20% eRH and store at -20 °C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species are not dormant. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds two weeks in 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit: Pod, glabrous, net veined, 20 to 30 mm long and 3 to 7 mm wide, with 3 to 6 seeds per pod
Seed: Ellipsoid to globose, usually flattish, hilum elliptic to obovate. Surface glossy, smooth, yellow to dark brown or black (in old seeds), sometimes spotted to marbled.
Seed size: Length 2.13 to 3.6 mm, width 2.1 to 3.2 mm in an accession from Aleshtar, Lorestan with 1000 seed weight 18 g, which was collected in 2002 by Darvishian, and the cultivated sample was identified by Mostafa Nemati, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 9472.
1000 seed weight: 10 – 19.5 g
Biological features
Life form: Annual. Stems ascending or diffused and spreading, 10 to 50 cm height, glabrous
Inflorescences and flower type and pollination mechanisms: Inflorescence axillary one- flowered (solitary flower), Peduncle one to two times the length of the stipel; flowers hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, heteropetalous; corolla (composed of banner: uper large petal, wings: two petals adjacent to the banner, and keel: two bottom petals) pale yellow, wings longer than the keel; stamens are always ten in number, and their filaments are fused in a group of nine stamens plus one separate stamen (9+1). Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated, which is carried out by insects.
Time of flowering: May to June
Time of seed ripening: Summer
Seed dispersal methods: The seeds are displaced by weight.
Geographical distribution: Europe, Turkey, Iran, Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, the Arabian Peninsula, and North Africa. Typus from Europe.
Distribution in Iran: North, Northwest, West, Center and Northeast. Mostly in provinces Golestan, Mazandaran, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Khorasan and Tehran.
Taxonomy
Family: Papilionaceae
Genus: Lathyrus
Species: L. aphaca
Variety: aphaca
Persian name: Kholar-e bibarg
Commun name: Yellow vetchling
References and Links
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of seeds and fruits of central and East-European flora: the Carpathian Mountains region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1046 pp.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Mozaffarian, V. 2012. A Pictorial Dictionary of Botany. Farhange Moaser publisher, 1088 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian Plants Names. Moaser Publisher, Tehran Farhang, 671 pp.
Pakravan, M., Jalilian, N. and Neamati, M. 1379. Flore of Iran, Papilionaceae: Vicieae. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, Iran, Publication No. 33, 176 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
