Lathyrus linifolius montanus
| Lathyrus linifolius | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Lathyrus linifolius montanus (common name: bitter 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].
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 but preferring a position in full sun[1].
Formerly cultivated for its edible seed[2].
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: Most of Europe, including Britain, but absent in far north and rare in southeast.
Habitat: Woods, hedges and thickets in hilly country avoiding chalk[3].
Edibility: Seed - cooked[2][4]. Used as a vegetable, they are served in the same manner as sweet chestnuts[2]. Some caution is advised in the use of this seed, see the notes above on toxicity.
Root - cooked[5][6][7]. Boiled or roasted, they have a sweet flavour and are very nutritious[2][8].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early 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. macrorrhizus. L. montanus. Orobus tuberosus.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.