Vicia faba
Fabaceae FAMILY

Vicia faba

Vicia faba

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although commonly used as an edible seed, there are reports that eating the seed of this plant, particularly the immature seed, can cause the disease 'Favism' in susceptible people[ 7 Title Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Chiej. R. Publisher MacDonald Year 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5 Description Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs. , 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. , 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Inhaling the pollen can also cause the disease[ 7 Title Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Chiej. R. Publisher MacDonald Year 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5 Description Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs. , 218 Title Medicinal Plants of China Publication Author Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Publisher Reference Publications, Inc. Year 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4 Description Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject. , 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Favism, which is a severe haemolytic anaemia due to an inherited enzymatic deficiency[ 218 Title Medicinal Plants of China Publication Author Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Publisher Reference Publications, Inc. Year 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4 Description Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject. ], only occurs in cases of excessive consumption of the raw seed (no more details are given[ K Title Plants for a Future Author Ken Fern Description Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips. ]) and when the person is genetically inclined towards the disease[ 7 Title Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Chiej. R. Publisher MacDonald Year 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5 Description Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs. , 213 Title Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Publication Author Weiner. M. A. Publisher Ballantine Books Year 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6 Description A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical. ]. About 1% of Caucasians and 15% of Negroids are susceptible to the disease[ 218 Title Medicinal Plants of China Publication Author Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Publisher Reference Publications, Inc. Year 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4 Description Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject. ].

Botanical Description

Vicia faba is an erect, annual plant, producing a stout stem with one or more basal branches. It can grow up to 2 metres tall, though most cultivars are smaller[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Broad beans are widely used as a food, and were first cultivated around 7,000 - 4,000 BC, though the large-seeded form that is most commonly eaten did not emerge until around 500 AD. The plant is commonly cultivated for food, and sometimes also as a green manure, both in gardens and on a commercial scale, in many temperate and subtropical areas, and also at higher elevations in the tropics.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical
Native RangeLong cultivated for its seed, the original habitat is obscure but is probably western Asia
HabitatNot known in a truly wild situation.