Vicia sativa leucosperma
| Vicia sativa | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 4' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Vicia sativa leucosperma (common name: winter tares)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in situ from late winter to early summer and again in the 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].
This sub-species is the form usually grown for food[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: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.
Habitat: Hedges and grassy places, avoiding acid soils or shady positions[3].
Edibility: Seed - cooked[4][2]. Not very palatable nor very digestible but it is very nutritious[5][6]. The seed can be dried, ground into a powder and mixed with cereal flour to make bread, biscuits, cakes etc[7]. The beans compliment the protein in the cereal making it more complete[K]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Leaves, young shoots and young pods - cooked[8][9][7].
The leaves are a tea substitute[7].
Usage: A very valuable green manure crop, it can be sown in spring or as late as October. A deep rooted and fast growing plant, it is winter hardy, an effective weed suppresser, produces a good bulk and fixes a large amount of nitrogen[10].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: There is some evidence that the seed may be toxic but this has only been shown under laboratory conditions, there are no recorded cases of poisoning by this plant in Britain[11].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Woodward, L and P Burge. Green Manures. Elm Farm Research Centre, 1982.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.