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Lathyrus lanszwertii - Kellogg

Common Name Thickleaf, or Aspen Peavine
Family Fabaceae
USDA hardiness 5-9
Known Hazards Although no specific records of toxicity have been found for this species, the seed and other parts of many Lathyrus species contain a toxic amino acid. It is produced in the plant at about the same time that the seed starts to develop. In small quantities the amino acid is innocuous, and the seeds of several Lathyrus species are eaten as a nutritious part of the diet. However, in larger quantities (the seed should form less than 30% of a balanced diet), it can cause a very serious disease of the nervous system known as 'lathyrism'. Symptoms appear as a paralysis of the muscles below the knees, pains in the back, followed by weakness and stiffness of the legs and progressive locomotive incoordination[65 , 76 , 1309 ].
Habitats Dry slopes at elevations from 1,200 - 1,950 metres[71 ].
Range Southwestern N. America - Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, California.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Lathyrus lanszwertii Thickleaf, or Aspen Peavine


edibleplants.org
Lathyrus lanszwertii Thickleaf, or Aspen Peavine
Andrey Zharkikh from Salt Lake City, USA wikimedia.org Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

 

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Summary

Lathyrus lanszwertii is an herbaceous perennial plant 20 - 80cm tall. Its erect to clambering stems attach themselves to nearby vegetation by means of tendrils[71 ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as food. Arizona/Nevada (thickleaf) peavine (Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus) has edible young seedpods, eaten cooked by Native Americans, with a flavor like garden peas but more bitter and stringy. Use only in small amounts due to toxic lathyrogens. USDA Zones 5–9; native, not invasive.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Lathyrus lanszwertii is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) by 0.3 m (1ft).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Insects.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Accepted Infraspecifics: L. lanszwertii var. aridus (Piper) Jeps. L. lanszwertii var. arizonicus (Britton) S.L.Welsh. L. lanszwertii var. bijugatus (T.G.White) Broich L. lanszwertii var. lanszwertii. L. lanszwertii var. pallescens Barneby.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

The ripe seedpods are cooked and eaten[257 ]. They can be dried and stored for later use - soaking them and then boiling them when needed[257 ]. (as var leucanthus). Arizona or Nevada peavine (Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus) is a native legume of the southwestern U.S., found in the mountains of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and extending west into California, Oregon, and Washington. Like all members of the Lathyrus genus, it contains toxic amino acids (lathyrogens) that can cause serious health effects such as neurolathyrism or osteolathyrism if eaten in quantity. Because boiling reduces but does not eliminate these toxins, all parts must be thoroughly cooked and should only be consumed sparingly. The main edible part of this species is the seedpods, which were traditionally gathered and cooked by the Mescalero and Chiricahua Apache. The young pods, collected soon after flowering, taste similar to cultivated pea pods but are more bitter, with a stringy texture. Older pods quickly become tough and dry, limiting their usefulness as a vegetable. While this species does produce palatable pods in the right stage, it was never a significant food source and was more of a supplementary or survival resource [2-3].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Nitrogen Fixer

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. Species in this genus generally grow well when given a position in full sun in most moderately fertile, well-drained soils[200 ]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, which 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[1309 ]. Arizona/Nevada (thickleaf) peavine (Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus) has edible young seedpods, eaten cooked by Native Americans, with a flavor like garden peas but more bitter and stringy. Use only in small amounts due to toxic lathyrogens. USDA Zones 5–9; native, not invasive.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Plant Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in early spring in a cold frame[200 ]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Arizona or Nevada peavine (Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus)

Native Range

Native to: Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Idaho, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it's worth checking.

This is a native species, not generally considered invasive. It is, however, grazed heavily by livestock, which can reduce local availability.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : Not available

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Lathyrus alatus Perennial0.6 -  LMHSNM10 
Lathyrus aphacaYellow-Flowered PeaAnnual0.9 -  LMHNDM11 
Lathyrus ciceraChickling Vetch, Red peaAnnual0.0 0-0  LMHNM10 
Lathyrus davidii Perennial1.2 5-9  LMHSNM10 
Lathyrus graminifoliusGrassleaf PeavinePerennial0.5 4-8  LMHNDM202
Lathyrus japonicusBeach Pea, Smallflower beach peaPerennial0.6 3-7  LMHNDM20 
Lathyrus japonicus maritimusBeach PeaPerennial0.6 3-7  LMHNDM203
Lathyrus latifoliusPerennial Sweet Pea, Perennial peaPerennial Climber2.0 5-9 FLMHSNDM302
Lathyrus linifolius montanusBitter VetchPerennial0.6 5-9  LMHSNM203
Lathyrus nervosusLord Anson's PeaPerennial Climber0.5 8-11  LMHNM20 
Lathyrus ochroleucasCream PeavinePerennial1.0 -  LMHSNM11 
Lathyrus ochrusCyprus VetchAnnual0.6 -  LMHNDM10 
Lathyrus odoratusSweet Pea, Wild Pea,VetchlingAnnual Climber2.0 2-11 FLMHSNM103
Lathyrus ornatusBush VetchlingPerennial0.3 3-7  LMHNDM11 
Lathyrus palustrisSlenderstem Peavine, Marsh peaPerennial Climber1.2 4-8  LMHNMWe10 
Lathyrus polymorphusManystem Peavine, Hoary peaPerennial0.4 0-0  LMHNM10 
Lathyrus pratensisMeadow VetchlingPerennial1.2 4-8  LMHNMWe011
Lathyrus quinquenervius Perennial0.6 -  LMHNMWe10 
Lathyrus sativusChickling Pea, White peaAnnual0.6 0-0  LMHNM213
Lathyrus sylvestrisFlat pea, Wood peaPerennial Climber1.5 6-9 FLMHSNM003
Lathyrus tuberosusEarthnut Pea, Tuberous sweetpeaPerennial1.2 5-9  LMHSNM503

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.

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