crown vetch

American  

noun

1. a plant, Coronilla varia, of the legume family, native to the Old World, having clusters of pink flowers and used to prevent erosion on banked roadsides.

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crown vetch British  

noun

1. Also called (US): axseed.  a trailing leguminous European plant, Coronilla varia, with clusters of white or pink flowers: cultivated in North America as a border plant

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Etymology

Origin of crown vetch

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The fragmented forest is covered by meadow foxtail, white and red clover, and crown vetch - vestiges of an agricultural past.

From Washington Times