Vicia narbonensis
L.
French vetch, Narbonne vetch
(c) Динасафина, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Динасафина
(c) jmneiva, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) jmneiva, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds, Pods
Seeds are cooked and considered to be of excellent quality, used as a vegetable. An additional use is reported though the plant part involved is not specified — it is likely to be the leaves.
Where to Find It
It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows in both cultivated and waste places.
Afghanistan, Africa, Algeria, Asia, Australia, Britain, Central Asia, East Africa, Egypt, Europe, France, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, Sicily, Spain, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, USA,
How to Identify
A herb. It is similar to broad bean. It is a short hairy annual plant. The stems are robust but not climbing. The leaves have 2-3 pairs of oblong leaflets. The lower leaves do not have tendrils. The leaflets and stipule may or may not have teeth. The flowers are white with purple veins or all purple. They are 20-30 mm long. The flowers occur singly or in pairs. The pods are black or brown and 30-70 mm long.
How to Grow
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. This species is probably the parent of the cultivated broad bean, V. faba. 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. 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.
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water, then sow in situ in spring or autumn.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
Can be grown as a green manure. Functions as a nitrogen fixer.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Vicia narbonensis, called Narbon bean, Narbon vetch, Narbonne vetch and moor's pea, is a widely distributed species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Madeira and the Mediterranean countries through to Central Asia and the western Himalayas, and has been introduced to central and eastern Europe, and scattered other locations. It has some palatability issues, but has potential as a green manure and forage crop, and for its beans. It is the namesake of the Vicia narbonensis species complex.
Other Information
It is cultivated.
Notes
There are about 140 Vicia species. They are mostly temperate.
Names & Synonyms
Bakile jispa, Burraideh, Collik, Colliki genni, Ful iblis, Kalikakoz, Lovike hispa, Moor's pea, Narbon bean, Sakil, Sokile ga
References (19)
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