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Useful Temperate Plants

Vicia articulata

Hornem.

Fabaceae

+ Synonyms

Cracca monanthos Gren. & Godr.

Ervum monanthos L.

Lens monantha (L.) Moench

Vicia monanthos (L.) Desf.

Vicia multifida Wallr.

Vicia smyrnaea Boiss.

Common Name: One-Flower Vetch

Vicia articulata

General Information

Vicia articulata is an annual plant with scrambling stems that cling to the surrounding vegetation; it can grow 20 - 90cm tall.
The plant is cultivated, mainly on the Iberian peninsula and in southern France, though nowadays only very sporadically, as a relic crop for its edible seeds, known as 'black lentils'[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
,
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. Even in Spain, where domestication took place, cultivation had been declining very strongly and has often been abandoned completely. Since the beginning of the 20th century the species had been grown in the USA, in southern states as green manure in orchards. Obviously a rather young domesticate[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
,
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
Vicia articulata is widespread across Europe, also native to Egypt, Iraq and Turkey, with a stable population and no apparent major threats due to its occurrence in a stable climax habitat. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2016)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

The seeds contain the anti-nutritional compound L-canavanine, a competitive inhibitor of arginine decarboxylase. This is removed by soaking the seeds in water prior to cooking and discarding the soak water[
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Botanical References

50
Title
Flora Europaea
Publication
 
Author
?
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
1964
ISBN
-
Description
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
93
Title
Flora of Turkey.
Publication
 
Author
Davis. P. H.
Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Year
1965
ISBN
-
Description
Not for the casual reader, this is an immense work in many volumes. Some details of plant uses and habitats.
,
1128
Title
Revision of Vicia L. (Leguminosae) in Central Anatolia, Turkey.
Publication
 
Author
Okan Kaan Binzat
Website
http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12615083/index.pdf
Publisher
 
Year
2012
ISBN
 
Description
A thesis submitted to the Graduate School of Natural and Allpied Sciences of Middle east Technical University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences

Range

S. Europe Portugal and Spain to Greece and Bulgaria; W. Asia - Turkey, Irag; N. Africa - Canary Islands, Egypt

Habitat

Pine woods, rocky limestone slopes, macchie and meadows; at elevations from 50 - 800 metres in Turkey[
93
Title
Flora of Turkey.
Publication
 
Author
Davis. P. H.
Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Year
1965
ISBN
-
Description
Not for the casual reader, this is an immense work in many volumes. Some details of plant uses and habitats.
]. A weed of many crops and also found wild in dry uncultivated lands[
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitAnnual
Height0.60 m
PollinatorsInsects, Self
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details


Species in this genus generally succeed in any well-drained soil in a sunny position if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season, otherwise they are best grown in semi-shade[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Succeeds in poor and sandy soils[
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. Established plants are drought resistant[
317
Title
Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
].
Producing a seed somewhat similar to lentils, the plant is said to be more resistant to fungal diseases and bird attacks[
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
The plant is mainly self-fertilizing, with insects as occasional pollinators[
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
].
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[
755
Title
Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
Publisher
United States Department of Agriculture
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
]. 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.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[
2
Title
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Hedrick. U. P.
Publisher
Dover Publications
Year
1972
ISBN
0-486-20459-6
Description
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
,
105
Title
Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
Publication
 
Author
Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
Publisher
Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
Year
1976
ISBN
-
Description
The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
]. They can be used like lentils[
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
]. Opinions vary on the taste, with some people finding them superior to lentils and others inferior[
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant fixes atmospheric nitrogen and makes a good bulk of foliage. It can be grown as a green manure crop[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
61
Title
A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Publication
 
Author
Usher. G.
Publisher
Constable
Year
1974
ISBN
0094579202
Description
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
,
87
Title
Green Manures.
Publication
 
Author
Woodward. L. Burge. P.
Publisher
Elm Farm Research Centre.
Year
1982
ISBN
-
Description
Green manure crops for temperate areas. Quite a lot of information on a number of species.
,
1127
Title
Single-flowered vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.): A relic crop in Italy
Publication
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 47: 461-465, 2000
Author
Laghetti G.; Piergiovanni A.R.; Galasso I.; Hammer K. & Perr
Publisher
 
Year
200
ISBN
 
Description
 
].

Other Uses

This species is a tertiary wild relative of Winter Vetch Vicia villosa and more remotely a number of other cultivated vetches including Faba Bean V. faba, Narbon Bean V. narbonensis, Hungarian Vetch V. pannonica and Common Vetch V. sativa. It also belongs to Taxon Group 1B of cultivated Monantha Vetch V. articulata and to Taxon Group 2 of Bitter Vetch V. ervilia (Kupicha 1976). As a result, this species has the potential for use as a gene donor for crop improvement[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in spring. An autumn sowing in situ might also succeed. The seed has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Vicia+articulata>

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