Know your Grass pea

Know your Grass pea - Introduction

  • Grass pea, Lathyrus sativus, is a legume (family Fabaceae) commonly grown for human consumption and livestock feed in Asia and East Africa.

  • It is a particularly important crop in areas that are prone to drought and famine, and is thought of as an 'insurance crop' as it produces reliable yields when all other crops fail.

  • Drought tolerant and adaptable to different soils types.

  • Used as a green vegetable for human consumption.

  • Remarkable azure blue coloured flower, near relative of the common sweet pea.

  • The blue colour is very rare in peas.

  • The plant is a bushy vine, usually growing to 2-3ft, or trailing along the ground.

  • It is very adaptable to varying climate conditions and can be grown in cool coastal areas as well as warm/hot arid regions, provided it receives regular water.

  • Grow as an annual.

Know your Grass pea - Other names

  • English: Blue sweet pea, chickling vetch, chickling pea, Indian pea, India vetch, Lathyrus pea, blue vetchling

  • Danish: Agerfladbælg, Fladbælg, Dyrket fladbælg, Sædfladbælg

  • Ethiopia: Guaya

  • French: Gesse Commune, Gesse cultivée, Gesse blanche, Jarosse, Pois carré, pois breton

  • German: Saat-platterbse; weisse platterbse

  • India: Khesari

  • Italy: Cicerchia

  • Pakistan: Mattari, kesari

  • Spanish: Almorta, alverjón, muelas, titos, chícharos

Know your Grass pea - Botany

  • An annual climbing plant with alternate leaves composed of two lanceolate leaflets with tendrils; the flowers are axillary and alone, pink, blue or white; the pods measure 4–5 cm long and contain 2–4 wedge-shaped seeds.

  • All the organs of Lathyrus sativus are larger than those of Lathyrus cicera.

  • Different varieties and types differ in flower colour, form of growth and colour and shape of seeds.

  • In the Mediterranean region there are types with white flowers and seeds.

Know your Grass pea - Distribution

  • Common in many Asian and African countries and the Mediterranean Basin.

  • Being rediscovered in Italy especially in organic agriculture.

  • Production increasing slowly in Sicily, Marche and Apulia.

  • Traditional dry legumes largely grown in India and Bangladesh.