Name/Title
Purple Vetch (Vicia americana)Entry/Object ID
2021.1.66 BScope and Content
Purple Vetch (Vicia americana) plant description, framed.
The Purple Vetch is a climbing perennial herb which grew originally in moist areas and mountain meadows across North America as far south as Kentucky. Today, it is sold by seed dealers and can be found nationwide. The rich purple hues of the blossoms appear in early summer and make the plant very noticeable. the blossoms produce a pod containing pea-like seeds. As the vines grow to lengths of approximately three feet, they cling to other plants and trees for support.
Lewis and Clark brought a number of seeds back from their journey, and President Thomas Jefferson experimented with growing them in his garden at Monticello. Jefferson also gave some of the seeds to Bernard McMahon, Philadelphia florist, gardener, seed-merchant and well-known author of The American Gardener's Calendar. On December 26, 1806, McMahon wrote to Jefferson, "...your goodnes I hope will excuse my anxiety to procure some seeds of indigenous plants of the western parts of America, if you received such from Capt. Lewis on his return. A small portion of every kind you could conveniently spare, would greatly oblige me and perhaps, render me esential service..." The men wrote to each other about the success of growing the plants. On March 27, 1807, McMahon reported, The dwarf cedar of the plains of Missouri, I take from the seed, to be a species of Juniperus: the Shallan of the Clatsops, a Vaccinium; and the flowering Pea of the Plains of Arkansas, a Lupinus." Although not specifically identified, more recent botanist believe the "flowering Pea of the Plains of Arkansas" was the Purple Vetch.Context
Originally designed by the St. Joseph Museum in the fall of 2004. Titled "Botanical Wonders of the Uncharted West. The Recorded Flora of the Lewis & Clark Expedition."Collection
Lewis and ClarkLexicon
LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Botanical drawings, Expeditions & surveysArchive Items Details
Title
Purple Vetch (Vicia americana)Creator
Mary L. FletcherDate(s) of Creation
2004Subjects
Plants, Watercolor paintingsParts
Count
2Parts
Watercolor of plant and descriptive label, both framed.Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodProvenance
Notes
"Botanical Wonders of the Uncharted West" visually depicts how well Lewis followed Jefferson's instructions. In recognition of this achievement, The S. Joseph Museums, Inc. commissioned accomplished artist Mary Fletcher to create fifty (50) selected paintings of flora documented by the Corps during their Journey. These framed watercolor originals are accompanied by similarly framed labels, generated by former Head of Research Jackie Lewin, which describe the corresponding plants with appropriate quotations from the Journals. This collection makes available for study and appreciation plants that were new to Lewis and Clark, but which Native Peoples already recognized as valuable sources of food, medicine, and tools. Some of these still remain a mystery to many, but all will enjoy their beauty, their diverse uses, and their accomplished renderings.