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Lotus tetragonolobus
  • Asparagus Pea

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

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • Nitrogen fixer
    Nitrogen fixer
    There are no details available for this function.
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Acid to Alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • ?
    Unknown
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Lotus tetragonolobus has 0 edible uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Young seedpods - raw or cooked[1][2][3]. Added to salads, cooked as a vegetable or added to soups, stews etc[4]. The taste is said to resemble asparagus[4]. Only the very young pods, when less than 25mm long, should be used, since the older pods quickly turn fibrous[4]. Considered by many to be a gourmet food, though it is not a very high yielding crop[K].

Seed - cooked. Used like peas[5][6][4].

The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute[2][4].

Unknown part

Coffee

Seed

Unknown use

Seedpod

Unknown use

Material uses

There are no material uses listed for Lotus tetragonolobus.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Lotus tetragonolobus.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nitrogen fixer

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in situ in the spring[3]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 15°c. If seed is in short supply, it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring or early summer[3].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Lotus tetragonolobus. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[7], preferring a rich light well-drained soil in a sunny position[3].

Occasionally cultivated for its edible young seedpods and also as an ornamental plant[1][3].

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[8]. 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.

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Lotus tetragonolobus. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Lotus tetragonolobus.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Lotus tetragonolobus
Genus
Lotus
Family
Leguminosae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
Botanic
[9][8]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Nitrogen fixer
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
?
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
    Ecosystems
    Native Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Adapted Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Native Geographical Range
    None listed.
    Native Environment
    None listed.
    Ecosystem Niche
    None listed.
    Root Zone Tendancy
    None listed.
    Life
    Deciduous or Evergreen
    ?
    Herbaceous or Woody
    ?
    Life Cycle
    annual
    Growth Rate
    ?
    Mature Size
    0.3 x 0.25 meters
    Fertility
    ?
    Pollinators
    Insects
    Flower Colour
    ?
    Flower Type
    hermaphrodite











    References

    1. ? 1.01.11.2 Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 (1977-00-00)
    2. ? 2.02.12.2 Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8 ()
    3. ? 3.03.13.23.33.43.5 Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber (1960-00-00)
    4. ? 4.04.14.24.34.44.5 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
    5. ? 5.05.1 Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)
    6. ? 6.06.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
    7. ? F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
    8. ? 8.08.1 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
    9. ? Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PFAFimport-50


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    Facts about "Lotus tetragonolobus"RDF feed
    Article is incompleteYes +
    Article requires citationsNo +
    Article requires cleanupYes +
    Belongs to familyLeguminosae +
    Belongs to genusLotus +
    Functions asNitrogen fixer +
    Has binomial nameLotus tetragonolobus +
    Has common nameAsparagus Pea +
    Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
    Has edible partUnknown part +, Seed + and Seedpod +
    Has edible useCoffee + and Unknown use +
    Has fertility typeInsects +
    Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
    Has lifecycle typeAnnual +
    Has mature height0.3 +
    Has mature width0.25 +
    Has search namelotus tetragonolobus + and asparagus pea +
    Has shade toleranceNo shade +
    Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
    Has soil texture preferenceSandy +, Loamy + and Clay +
    Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
    Has sun preferenceFull sun +
    Has taxonomic rankSpecies +
    Has taxonomy nameLotus tetragonolobus +
    Has water requirementsmoderate +
    Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
    PFAF cultivation notes migratedNo +
    PFAF edible use notes migratedNo +
    PFAF material use notes migratedYes +
    PFAF medicinal use notes migratedYes +
    PFAF propagation notes migratedNo +
    PFAF toxicity notes migratedYes +
    Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
    Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +
    Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.Lotus tetragonolobus +, Lotus tetragonolobus + and Lotus tetragonolobus +