in botany, a genus of the diadelphia decandria clas. The under side of the stigma is transversely bearded. There are 18 species, six of them natives of Britain, viz. the eracea, or tufted wood-vetch; the sepium, or bush-vetch; the fativa, or common vetch; the lathyroides, or wild-vetch; and the lutea, or yellow vetch.