SafePlants

Yellow False Crown-vetch

Yellow false crown-vetch is a rare visitor to North America and is native to southern Europe.

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions "seeds," which are contained in segments. Ingestion of seeds by pets should always be monitored.

Scientific Classification

• Scientific Name: Coronilla scorpioides (L.) W.D.J. Koch
• Common Names: Yellow False Crown-vetch, Annual Scorpion Vetch, Yellow Crownvetch, Scorpion Crown-vetch
• Family: Fabaceae (also known as Leguminosae)

Synonyms

• Xe&#295t l-im&#295abba (Hebrew name: &#1499&#1514&#1512&#1493&#1503 &#1494&#1506&#1497&#1512-&#1508&#1512&#1495)

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to southern Europe, southwest Asia, and northern Africa.
• Rare visitor to North America.
• Found in Batha habitats (scrubland in Israel).

Morphological Characteristics

• Low-growing herb.
• Flowers are yellow or yellow-orange and faboid-like (pea-like).
• Flowers bloom from May to August.
• Petals: 5
• Leaves: Pinnate leaf form, entire leaf margin.
• Stems are produced in abundance from rhizomes.
• Seed segments each contain one yellow-orange to reddish-brown rod-shaped seed.

Ecological Role

• Crown vetch, in general, is an herbaceous perennial that spreads aggressively by rhizomes and seeds.
• It can form dense stands.
• Crown vetch was introduced into the United States for erosion control.

Quirky Facts

• The name "Scorpioides" suggests a possible resemblance to a scorpion's tail, perhaps in the shape of the seed pods.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Used as bee plants.
• Used as nitrogen-fixers.
• Seeds are a food source for birds (turkey or quail).

Additional Information

• Dave's Garden is a resource for gardening tips and ideas.
• Protected Flowers of Israel is a resource for information on plants in Israel.
• uBio and NatureServe are databases containing taxonomic information.
• Dryades Project contains pictures and information.