Lathyrus japonicus maritimus
| Lathyrus japonicus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Late Summer |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Lathyrus japonicus maritimus (common name: beach pea)
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].
Division in spring. It may not transplant well so care should be taken[1].
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, succeeding in any moderately good garden soil[2]. Prefers a deep moist well-drained soil in a cool position[3]. Prefers a position in full sun, growing well on hot sunny banks[1].
The seed remains viable for 4 - 5 years in sea water[1].
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].
Range: Circumpolar, south to Britain, France, Mongolia.
Habitat: Shingle beaches and sand dunes[4][3].
Edibility: The immature seeds are eaten raw or cooked like peas[5][6]. Mature seeds are cooked or sprouted and used in salads[5]. A delightful vegetable[7]. A famine food[8]. Very bitter[9][10][11]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Young seedpods - raw or cooked when less than 25mm long[10][11][5]. A sweet flavour[11][7].
Young plant - raw or cooked[12]. Use young shoots that are less than 25cm long[7][13].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[14][5][6].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera
Notes: Some research needs to be carried out to see if chickens would be prone to lathyrism - certainly the seeds are eaten by many species of birds. Any other members of this genus could be considered, though the same caution about the seed would still apply.
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The seed contains a toxic amino-acid which, in large quantities, can cause a very serious disease of the nervous system known as 'lathyrism'. The seed is said to be perfectly safe and very nutritious in small quantities, but should not comprise more than
Also Known As: L. maritimus.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Coon, Nelson. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press, 1975.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.