Polka Dots (Vika)

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Vika (lat. Vicia) - a numerous genus of plants belonging to the legume family (lat. Fabaceae). In common people, the genus has the name"

Peas . The genus is not only numerous, but also omnipresent. Plants can be found on all continents, excluding Australia and Antarctica. Vicky's closest relatives in the legume family are True Peas (Latin Pisum) and Lentils (Latin Lens).

Description

Among the numerous representatives of the genus, perennial plants are more common, but annuals also happen.

From roots with nodules of an indeterminate type, which give shelter to bacteria that can fix nitrogen, erect or climbing stems appear in the world.

The complex plumose leaves of plants are folded with pair-pinnate simple ovoid leaves. The end of the leaves has a branched tendril with which the plant clings to the turned up support. Sometimes the antenna is not branched, or is represented by a straight bristle.

Flowers, which are characteristic of plants of the legume family, appear from the axils of the leaves and can be single, or grouped in 2-3 pieces. Sometimes they form an inflorescence-raceme, located in a large group along the peduncle. The petals are colored from white to blue or purple, but sometimes yellow or red are found. Pollinators are insects, including bumblebees and honey bees.

A pollinated flower gives life to a legume pod, which contains from two to several seeds.

Varieties

* Mouse peas - lat. Vicia cracca

* Hairy peas - lat. Vicia hirsuta

* Multi-stemmed peas - lat. Vicia multicaulis

* Sowing peas (or, sowing vetch) - lat. Vicia sativa

* Thin-leaved peas - lat. Vicia tenuifolia

* Four-seeded peas - lat. Vicia tetrasperma

* Shaggy peas - lat. Vicia villosa

* Orange peas - lat. Vicia crocea

* Ciliated peas - lat. Vicia ciliatula.

Usage

Certain plant species of the Vika genus were among the first wild crops that humans began to grow for their needs. In the Middle East, archaeological excavations show that people began to grow Vika 9, 5 thousand years ago, and, possibly, even much earlier. In Central Europe, this happened 7 thousand years ago, and in Indochina - 11 thousand years ago. Vika is also mentioned in later times of history, including in ancient Egyptian and Hebrew texts.

Later, when a person learned to grow more nutritious and more productive legumes, as well as various cereals, Vika was excluded from the human diet. But they remembered about it during the hungry periods of the history of Mankind, as well as during the wars. For example, during the Second World War in southern France, Vicky fruits were sold on the black market.

Nowadays, people have not forgotten about the nutritious plant, rich in protein and vitamins, and continue to grow some species of plants of the genus Vica for livestock feed and for use as a green fertilizer. This is facilitated by the unpretentiousness of the plant to living conditions, the rich content of protein and other useful substances, as well as the commonwealth of the plant with microorganisms that can fix nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil with an important chemical element for the growth of most terrestrial plants. Vika is also used as a honey plant, from which bees willingly collect nectar.

Dangerous scams

Some people are so arranged that they cannot live without cheating in order to get good income with the minimum cost of their labor. The fact is that crushed Vicky seeds are similar to crushed seeds of red Lentil. "Enterprising" guys tried to sell to some countries (India, Pakistan, Egypt), under the guise of Lentils, which are very popular in these countries, crushed seeds of Vicky species with toxic fruits. These countries had to impose bans on the import of a suspicious product.