Κίτρινος βίκος, Βίκος ο υβριδικός
Etymology of Vicia hybrida: The Latin name of the genus, "Vicia", meaning "binder", derives from Proto-Italic "wikia", which in turn originates other from Proto-Indo-European "weyk-", meaning "to curve, bend" or from Proto-Indo-European "wehy- ". The name "binder" alludes to the activity of the tendrils. Latin "hybrida'' means "hybrid", unknown why it is called a hybrid.
At least 26 Vicia species and subspecies/kinds have so far been identified in the wild Cypriot habitat, of which two of them appear exclusively in occupied northern Cyprus.
This is probably the most common of the Vicia species in Cyprus and it is encountered all around the island except for the central Mesaoria region (Nicosia and surrounding plains), at an altitude of up to 750 metres.
How to identify Vicia hybrida:
There are at least four identified species of the Vicia genus in Cyprus that have yellow flowers. The best ways to distinguish the one from the other are the following:
- Vicia assyriaca (found only in the Kerynia region) and Vicia lutea (found only in the Troodos region) have a glabrous or shortly papillose standard on the adaxial (outer) surface, compared to Vicia hybrida and Vicia pannonica (found only in the Kerynia region) whose standard is pilose on the adaxial (outer) surface; these two also have pilose or pubescent pods.
- Vicia hybrida's flowers are solitary, pannonica's are 2-5 in a congested raceme or cluster.
- Hybrida's adaxial calyx teeth are distinctly shorter than the abaxial. Pannonica's calyx teeth are subequal.
- Vicia assyriaca's pod is 15-18 mm long with 1-3 seeds, Vicia lutea's pod is 20-33 mm long with 3-6 seeds, Vicia hybrida as we see in the picture has more than 6 seeds.
