Round-seed vetchling

Lathyrus sphaericus, the round-seeded vetchling, is an annual herbaceous legume (Fabaceae) typically growing 15–30 cm tall with weakly winged, ascending stems. Each leaf bears a single pair of linear to lanceolate, parallel-veined leaflets 2–8 cm long; lower leaves end in a small bristle while upper leaves terminate in a simple climbing tendril. Small arrow-shaped stipules are present at the leaf bases. Solitary brick-red to orange flowers about 10 mm long are produced in May on slender pedicels. The fruit is a flat, smooth, hairless pod 4–6 mm wide containing round seeds approximately 4–5 mm across, the feature reflected in the species name. It is native to Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean regions from the Iberian Peninsula east to the Balkans, growing in dry, nutrient-rich disturbed habitats such as vineyards and pastures from 380–1030 m elevation in central Europe.