Vicia sativa subsp. leucosperma
Ser.
Winter tares
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) squid02, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Alenka Mihoric, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alenka Mihoric
Summary
Source: WikipediaVicia sativa, known as the common vetch, garden vetch, tare or simply vetch, is a nitrogen-fixing leguminous plant in the family Fabaceae. It is now naturalised throughout the world occurring on every continent, except Antarctica and the Arctic. The centre of diversity is thought to be the Fertile Crescent, although gold standard molecular confirmation is currently not available. Global common vetch cultivation is limited due to anti-nutritional compounds in the seed although it is grown in dryland agricultural zones in Australia, China and Ethiopia due to its drought tolerance and very low nutrient requirements compared to other legumes. In these agricultural zones common vetch is grown as a green manure, livestock fodder or rotation crop. In cultivated grainfields, like lentils, it is often considered a weed due to downgrading of harvested mixed grain, resulting in farmers receiving less financial returns.
Description
A herbaceous legume in the Fabaceae family found in temperate regions. Winter tares is one of approximately 140 Vicia species, mostly temperate in distribution.
Edible Uses
Both the leaves and seeds are edible portions of this plant.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant.
Where It Grows
Britain, Europe,
Notes
There are about 140 Vicia species. They are mostly temperate.
References (1)
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
