Lathyrus cicera
L.
Chickling Vetch, Red pea
(c) J. Gállego, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
(c) megadrazen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by megadrazen
(c) Eleftherios Katsillis, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Eleftherios Katsillis
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seed, Seedpod
Seed - cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Seedpods - they must be well cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
Europe - Mediterranean.
TEMPERATE ASIA: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Dagestan), Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan TROPICAL ASIA: Pakistan (north) EUROPE: Switzerland, Ukraine (incl. Krym), Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece (incl. Crete), Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania, Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal AFRICA: Spain (Canarias), Portugal (Madeira Islands), Algeria, Egypt (possibly), Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
How to Identify
Lathyrus cicera is a ANNUAL. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
How to Grow
An easily grown plant, succeeding in any moderately good garden soil but preferring a position in full sun. Plants are cultivated in southern Europe for their edible seed. Closely related to L. sativus and of possible use in breeding programmes for that species. 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 and then sow in early spring in a cold frame. 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.
