Herb: Chickling Vetch


Latin name: Lathyrus cicera


Family: Leguminosae



Edible parts of Chickling Vetch:

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.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual

Habitat of the herb:

Fields and cultivated places.

Propagation of Chickling Vetch:

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.

Cultivation of the herb:

Fields and cultivated places.

Medicinal use of Chickling Vetch:

None known

Known hazards of Lathyrus cicera:

The seed (and possibly the whole plant?) is poisonous unless well cooked. 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 quantities are said to be nutritious). Great caution is advised.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.