Lathyrus palustris
| Lathyrus palustris | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 4' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Lathyrus palustris (common name: slenderstem peavine)
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: A good plant for the bog or marsh garden, succeeding in wet soils[2][1]. It is easily grown in any moderately good garden soil, preferring a position in full sun[1].
Plants climb by means of tendrils[3].
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: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Spain, Siberia and Japan. E. N. America
Habitat: Fens and damp places in grass or bushes[4],
Edibility: Seed - cooked[5][6][7]. The fully grown seeds are shelled and cooked as a vegetable[8]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Young leaves and stems - cooked[9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no records of toxicity have been found for this plant, 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 (although small
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.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.