Vicia ervilia
| Vicia ervilia | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Vicia ervilia (common name: bitter vetch)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in situ in spring or autumn.
Cultivation: Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a sunny position if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season, otherwise it is best grown in semi-shade[1].
Cultivated for its edible seed in France[2][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]. 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: S. Europe.
Habitat: Disturbed ground[4].
Edibility: Seed - cooked[5][3][6][7]. Used as a lentil[2], it is occasionally eaten in soups. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: One report says that the seed might be poisonous[5].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press, 1980.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.