Bush vetch, Hedge vetch
Vicia sepium
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A medium height herb. It keeps growing from year to year and can scramble 1 m high. It has branched tendrils. It is usually hairy. The leaves have 3-9 pairs of oval or oblong leaflets. They can be rounded or have a notch at the tip. The stipules are lobed and have a dark spot near the base. The flowers are purplish-blue. They are 12-15 mm long. The flowers occur in clusters of 2-6. The fruit is a black pod. It is 20-35 mm long and hairless.
There are about 140 Vicia species. They are mostly temperate.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in rocky, bushy and grassy places. In China it grows between 1,000-2,200 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Britain, Central Asia, China, Europe, Falklands, Finland, France, Himalayas, India, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Mongolia, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Scandinavia, Siberia, Spain, Tajikistan, Turkey, Türkiye
How it is used for food
They seeds are cooked and eaten.
Edible parts
Seeds
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Gjerdevikke