Vicia japonica

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 60-120 cm tall. The stems can be climbing or trailing. The leaves are 5-15 cm long and have 5-8 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are 10-30 mm long by 6-14 mm wide. The flowers are in groups of 7-15 and are blue or purple. The pod is 15-25 mm long and has 1-3 seeds.

There are about 140 Vicia species. They are mostly temperate.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In northern China it grows on hill slopes and riverbanks between 600-3,700 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Vicia japonica subsp. pallida (Turcz.) Worosch.;