David's vetchling, Itachi-sasage
Lathyrus davidii
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It can be a climbing plant. It grows 80-100 cm high. The stems can be 3 m long. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. There is a branched tendril at the end. There are 4-8 leaflets. They are oval and 3-10 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. The flowers are yellow. They are 2 cm long. They are along a stalk 10-20 cm long. The pods are cylinder shaped and 8-11 cm long. The seeds are oblong and brown.
There are about 150 Lathyrus species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows wild in northern China. It grows below 1,800 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Russia
How it is used for food
The young plants including stems pods and flower stalks are parboiled then eaten as a potherb, fried, roasted and use in soups. The leaves are stems can be cooked and eaten separately.
Edible parts
Flowers, leaves, seeds, seeds pod