Taxon: Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.

Summary

Genus:

Onobrychis

Family:

Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)

Subfamily:

Faboideae

Tribe:

Hedysareae

Nomen number:

25737

Place of publication:

Fl. carniol. ed. 2, 2:76. 1772 "viciaefolia"

Protologue link:

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59203855

Comment:

a nom. nov. for Hedysarum onobrychis L.
spelling corrected in accordance with Shenzhen ICN Art. 60.10 and Rec. 60G

Verified:

09/16/2011 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

297 (191 active, 95 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Autonym(s)
Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. var. viciifolia

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Hedysarum onobrychis L.
Onobrychis sativa Lam.
Onobrychis sativa Lam. subsp. sativa
Onobrychis vulgaris Gaudin
Onobrychis vulgaris Gaudin var. vulgaris

Invalid Designation(s)
Onobrychis onobrychis (L.) H. Karst., nom. inval.

Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Castroviejo, S. et al., eds. 1989-. Flora iberica: plantas vasculares de la Peninsula Iberica e Islas Baleares.
Cronquist, A. et al. 1972-. Intermountain flora.
Curtis, W. M. & D. I. Morris. 1956-. The student's flora of Tasmania.
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Harden, G. J., ed. 2002. Flora of New South Wales, ed. 2.
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Isely, D. 1998. Native and naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (exclusive of Alaska and Hawaii)
Jordanov, D. et al., eds. 1963-1982. Flora na narodna republika Balgarija.
Jovanovic, S. 1970-1977. Flora SR Srbije.
Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Mora-Ortiz, M. & L. M. J. Smith. 2018. Onobrychis viciifolia; a comprehensive literature review of its history, etymology, taxonomy, genetics, agronomy and botany. Pl. Genet. Resources Charact. Util. 16:403-418.
Ortega-Sada, J. L. 1987. Flora de interes apicola y polinizacion de cultivos.
Plitmann, U. 1966. Studies in the taxonomy of the Leguminosae of Israel. Israel J. Bot. 15:30.
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Note: forage crop

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	esparcet	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	holy-clover	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	sainfoin	1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
French	esparcette	2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
French	sainfoin cultivé	2	Demilly, D. et al. 2001. Liste alphabétique des principales espèces de plantes cultivées et de mauvaises herbes. Noms latins et noms français, ed. 7 GEVES-SNES, Beaucouzé, France.
German	Esparcette	2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
German	Futter-Esparcette	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen
Italian	crocetta	2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Italian	fieno-santo	2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Italian	lupinella	2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Portuguese	sanfeno	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	arveja de asno	2	Castroviejo, S. et al., eds. 1989-. Flora iberica: plantas vasculares de la Peninsula Iberica e Islas Baleares.
Spanish	esparceta	2	Ortega-Sada, J. L. 1987. Flora de interes apicola y polinizacion de cultivos.
Spanish	esparcetilla	2	Castroviejo, S. et al., eds. 1989-. Flora iberica: plantas vasculares de la Peninsula Iberica e Islas Baleares.
Spanish	pipirigallo	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	esparsett	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinese	lü shi cao	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Transliterated Russian	esparcet posevnoj	2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Former Yugoslavia			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2	Cultivated	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Gansu Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hebei Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Nei Mongol Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Qinghai Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shaanxi Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shanxi Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kyrgyzstan			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Tajikistan			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Turkmenistan			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Uzbekistan			Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Mongolia	Mongolia			Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Russian Far East	Russian Federation	Habarovskij kraj		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Russian Far East	Russian Federation	Primorye		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia	Eastern Siberia		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Western Siberia	Western Siberia		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Australasia	Australia	Australia			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand			Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
2	Cultivated	Europe		Europe			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Estonia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Latvia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Lithuania			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Moldova			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Belgorod		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Kalužskaja oblast'		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Komi		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Kursk		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Leningradskaja oblast'		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Lipeckaja oblast'		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Marij Èl, Respublika		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Mordovija, Respublika		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Orel		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Pskovskaja oblast'		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Rostov		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Tambov		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Tula		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Udmurtia		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Ulyanovsk		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Volgogradskaja oblast'		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation	Voronezh		Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
2	Cultivated	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine		incl. Krym	Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
2	Cultivated	Northern America		Canada		w.	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Northern America		United States		n.w.	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
4	Naturalized	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	New South Wales		Harden, G. J., ed. 2002. Flora of New South Wales, ed. 2.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Tasmania		Curtis, W. M. & D. I. Morris. 1956-. The student's flora of Tasmania.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine		incl. Krym	Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Belgium			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Poland			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Middle Europe	Switzerland			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	Denmark			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	Sweden			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).

Native
Europe

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: France

Cultivated
Africa

SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa

Asia-Temperate

CAUCASUS: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
SIBERIA: Russian Federation-Western Siberia [Western Siberia], Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia [Eastern Siberia]
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
MONGOLIA: Mongolia
RUSSIAN FAR EAST: Russian Federation [Habarovskij kraj, Primorye]
CHINA: China [Gansu Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Nei Mongol Zizhiqu, Qinghai Sheng, Shaanxi Sheng, Shanxi Sheng]

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Europe

EASTERN EUROPE: Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russian Federation [Belgorod, Kalužskaja oblast', Komi, Kursk, Leningradskaja oblast', Lipeckaja oblast', Marij Èl, Respublika, Mordovija, Respublika, Orel, Pskovskaja oblast', Rostov, Tambov, Tula, Udmurtia, Ulyanovsk, Volgogradskaja oblast', Voronezh], Ukraine (incl. Krym)
REGION: Europe

Northern America

REGION: Canada (w.), United States (n.w.)

Naturalized
Africa

NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [Tasmania, New South Wales]

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: Denmark, Sweden
MIDDLE EUROPE: Belgium, Switzerland, Poland
EASTERN EUROPE: Belarus, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Portugal

Reference(s)

Afonin, A. N., S. L. Greene, N. I. Dzyubenko, & A. N. Frolov, eds. Interactive agricultural ecological atlas of Russia and neighboring countries. Economic plants and their diseases, pests and weeds (on-line resource).
Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
Curtis, W. M. & D. I. Morris. 1956-. The student's flora of Tasmania.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Harden, G. J., ed. 2002. Flora of New South Wales, ed. 2.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Animal food	fodder	Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
Animal food	forage	Duke, J. A. 1981. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance
Bee plants	honey production	Ortega-Sada, J. L. 1987. Flora de interes apicola y polinizacion de cultivos.
Environmental	ornamental	Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
Environmental	ornamental	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=25737. Accessed 15 April 2026.