Common Name:

General Information

Vicia noeana is an annual plant with an erect or scrambling stem; it can grow up to 60cm tall[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and is occasionally cultivated as a seed crop[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

W. Asia - Turkey, Syria, Iraq.

Habitat

Disturbed steppe, cultivated and fallow fields; at elevations from 500 - 1,700 metres in Turkey[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, 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[].
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.

Edible Uses

Seed[]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ in spring or autumn. 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.