Lathyrus cicera
| Lathyrus cicera | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Lathyrus cicera (common name: chickling vetch)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in early spring in a cold frame[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.
If you have sufficient seed, then it can also be sown in situ in mid spring[1].
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, succeeding in any moderately good garden soil but preferring a position in full sun[1].
Plants are cultivated in southern Europe for their edible seed[2].
Closely related to L. sativus and of possible use in breeding programmes for that species.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Range: Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat: Fields and cultivated places[3].
Edibility: Seed - cooked[4]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Seedpods - they must be well cooked[5][2][6]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The seed (and possibly the whole plant?) is poisonous unless well cooked[2]. The seed of some species in this genus contain a toxic amino acid that can cause a severe disease of the nervous system known as 'lathyrism' if they are eaten in large amounts (
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.