cracca

Cracca is a historical name in botany that was once used as the name of a genus within the legume family Fabaceae. In older taxonomic treatments, Cracca included a group of vetch-like herbaceous plants and climbers. In modern classifications, Cracca is no longer recognized as an independent genus; most if not all species formerly placed in Cracca have been reassigned to the genus Vicia, with some taxa moved to Lathyrus or other related genera depending on the author and circumscription used.

Plant characteristics historically associated with Cracca broadly align with those of vetches: herbaceous annuals or perennials with pinnate leaves, often possessing stipules and tendrils, and producing papilionaceous flowers followed by legume pods. Because Cracca was not always sharply defined in earlier botany, its members did not necessarily form a single, uniform group in modern systematics.

The name Cracca appears in botanical literature from the early modern period through the 19th century. The etymology of the term is inconsistent across sources, reflecting its use as a traditional, rather than a formal, taxonomic designation.

Current status and related taxa: In contemporary databases and taxonomic references, Cracca is treated as an obsolete name or synonym. Plants once assigned to Cracca are broadly classified under Vicia, the true vetches, which includes many species important as forage, cover crops, or wildflowers. The shift reflects ongoing changes in legume systematics as molecular data inform reclassification within the Fabaceae.