About

Lathyrus tuberosus (also known as the tuberous pea, tuberous vetchling, earthnut pea, aardaker, or tine-tare) is a small, climbing perennial plant, native in moist temperate parts of Europe and Western Asia. The plant is a trailer or weak climber, supported by tendrils, growing to 1.2 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, with two leaflets and a branched twining tendril at the apex of the petiole. Its flowers are hermaphroditic, pollinated by bees. The plants can also spread vegetatively from the root system.

How to grow it

Today in allotments of middle Europe, Lathyrus tuberosus is occasionally grown for its odour, its appearance and its edible tubers. In the 16th century flowers of the plant were distilled to produce perfume. In the 18th century in the Lower Rhine Valley of Germany and in the Netherlands it was grown on a larger scale. After harvesting, tubers were cooked or roasted for human nutrition. At the same time the root legume with the "gentle nutty flavor" was in demand on French markets. The production of fermented beverages or bread were occasional other uses of the tuber, whereas oil was pressed from the seeds. Promising experiments with L. tuberosus as a forage crop were conducted in the 20th century. Recent studies from Turkey show that above-ground tissue of L. tuberosus is still consumed as a wild plant by parts of the rural population.

Lathyrus tuberosus succeeds on soils where other crops fail to grow, due to being adapted to a broad range of conditions. The tuberous crop was found to resist high soil salinity.

Where it grows

The place of origin of L. tuberosus lies in Westasia and Eastern Europe. It is assumed that it spread simultaneously with cereal cultivation across middle Europe. It was introduced to North America and can even be found in Northern Africa. Today it ranks among the endangered species in Switzerland and Austria. Its typical habitat is rough grassy places, broad-leaved woodland, forest margins, hedgerows and banks. L tuberosus prefers alkaline, calcareous, loamy soils, that are rich in fine contents. However it is also found on stony grounds. It depends on near-surface soil moisture in warmer, dryer regions, due to its root morphology. Lathyrus tuberosus may reach habitats at altitudes up to 2000 m above sea level.

Uses

The delicious taste of the tubers is widely reported. The tuber contains 16-20 % starch, 5% sugar and 10-12 % protein. Proteins consist of the amino acids glutamine, arginine and asparagine. Furthermore, α-amino-8-oxaly-amino-butyric acid and lathyrogenic substances could be found in the plant. Vitamin C contents of 161.25 mg/100 g in the aboveground biomass were observed. That amount of ascorbic acid is approximately twice as high as the reference daily intake and three times higher than the vitamin C content of lemons. Calcium amounts are almost twice as high as in cow milk.

Other Lathyrus plants

Angled pea · Yellow pea · Golden Pea · Red pea · Lathyrus fulvus · Everlasting-Pea · Caley pea · Beach pea · Perennial pea · Sweet pea · Round-leaved vetchling · White pea