KIDNEYVETCH
Anthyllis vulneraria L., family LeguminosaeKidneyvetch, also known as sand clover or wound-wart, is not grown to any appreciable extent in this country.
Plant:
Kidneyvetch is a deep-rooted perennial herb about a foot tall. It is a forage plant of some value on poor, light, sandy soil of the more northern latitudes (Graham 1941*).
Inflorescence:
The yellow to deep red flower heads are attractive to bees for both their nectar and pollen. The stigma and stamen are enclosed in the sheath of the keel petal. The pressure of a bee visiting the flower squeezes out a string of pollen from the opening in the keel petal. When the pressure is removed, the tips of the anthers return to their former position, and, when pressure is renewed, fresh pollen masses are extruded. At a later stage, the stigma elongates and also projects through the cleft.
Pollination Requirements:
Even though surrounded by its own pollen grains, the stigma is unreceptive to them. After the pollen is carried away or no longer viable, the stigma becomes receptive to pollen brought from other flowers. Thus, it is an entirely cross-pollinated plant (Knuth 1908*, pp. 297-298; Todd 1957*; Muller 1833*, pp. 172-173).
Pollinators:
Bees are primary pollinators of kidneyvetch.
Pollination Recommendations and Practices:
None.
