Lathyrus linifolius
Encyclopedia
Lathyrus linifolius is a species of pea
, commonly called Bitter Vetch or Heath Pea. It was formerly used as an appetite suppressant in medieval Scotland
, and this use has brought it to recent medical attention. Attempts are being made to cultivate the plant on a commercial scale.
The plant was formerly an ingredient of the Highland diet when food was scarce until the 18th century, when the potato
became an important crop in the region. The small tuber
s were removed the roots and dried. Once eaten, they prevented thirst and hunger pangs. Certain medieval herbals claimed that this effect could last for days or even weeks. It is surmised that this effect derives from the presence of transethanol.
The plant may be the one eaten by Roman
soldiers in the battle of Dyrrhacium in 48 BCE.
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
, commonly called Bitter Vetch or Heath Pea. It was formerly used as an appetite suppressant in medieval Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and this use has brought it to recent medical attention. Attempts are being made to cultivate the plant on a commercial scale.
The plant was formerly an ingredient of the Highland diet when food was scarce until the 18th century, when the potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
became an important crop in the region. The small tuber
Tuber
Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction...
s were removed the roots and dried. Once eaten, they prevented thirst and hunger pangs. Certain medieval herbals claimed that this effect could last for days or even weeks. It is surmised that this effect derives from the presence of transethanol.
The plant may be the one eaten by Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
soldiers in the battle of Dyrrhacium in 48 BCE.