Practical
Plants

Scorpiurus vermiculatus

an annual member of the Scorpiurus genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.5 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young seedpods - raw or cooked[1][2]. A very indifferent flavour, it is included as an item of food mainly because it looks very like a caterpillar and can therefore cause humour at the food table[3].

Plant part
Seedpod

Ecology and functions

Nitrogen fixer

Environment

Range
Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat
Fields[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and plant out after the last expected frosts. It might be worthwhile making sowings in situ in April.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will succeed outdoors in Britain, though it should be possible to grow it at least as a frost-tender annual. It is likely to require a sunny position in a light or medium well-drained soil. 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[4]. 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.

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  3. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  5. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

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