Plants of Iceland: Vicia cracca, Tufted Vetch, Umfeðmingur

Vicia cracca; the tufted vetch is a plant of the lowland regions where it grows in a variety of habitats like roadsides, meadows, garden weeds etc. A rarer species similar to the tufted vetch is the bush vetch (Vicia sepium). This species is only found in a few localities . As member of the pea family (Fabaceae - Papillionaceae section), they are able to transform atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into organic nitrogen (amino acids/proteins) by using specialized bacteria living symbiotically in their roots. The Icelandic name of this species is Umfeðmingur.