''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

family

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species in North America, 78 in Asia, 24 in tropical East Africa, and 24 in temperate South America. There are annual and perennial species which may be climbing or bushy. This genus has numerous sections, including ''Orobus'', which was once a separate genus.

Uses

Many species are cultivated as garden plants. The genus includes the garden sweet pea (''Lathyrus odoratus'') and the perennial everlasting pea (''Lathyrus latifolius''). Flowers on these cultivated species may be rose, red, maroon, pink, white, yellow, purple or blue, and some are bicolored. They are also grown for their fragrance. Cultivated species are susceptible to fungal infections including downy and powdery mildew. Other species are grown for food, including the Indian pea (''L. sativus'') and the red pea (''L. cicera''), and less commonly cyprus-vetch (''L. ochrus'') and Spanish vetchling (''L. clymenum''). The tuberous pea (''L. tuberosus'') is grown as a

root vegetable Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocotyl a ...

for its starchy edible tuber. The seeds of some ''Lathyrus'' species contain the toxic amino acid oxalyldiaminopropionic acid and if eaten in large quantities can cause

lathyrism Lathyrism is a condition caused by eating certain legumes of the genus ''Lathyrus''. There are three types of lathyrism: ''neurolathyrism'', ''osteolathyrism'', and ''angiolathyrism'', all of which are incurable, differing in their symptoms and ...

, a serious disease.

Diversity

Species include:GRIN Species Records of ''Lathyrus''.
Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). *'' Lathyrus alpestris'' *''

Lathyrus angulatus ''Lathyrus angulatus'' is a species of Lathyrus, wild pea known by the common name angled pea. It is native to southern Europe and North Africa, and it is known from elsewhere as an introduced species. This is an annual herb with a flanged, ha ...

'' – angled pea *''

Lathyrus annuus ''Lathyrus annuus'', the annual vetchling, is a species of annual herb in the family Fabaceae. They are climbers and are associated with freshwater habitat. They have broad leaves. Individuals can grow to 37 cm tall. Sources References ...

'' – red fodder pea *''

Lathyrus aphaca ''Lathyrus aphaca'', known as the yellow pea or yellow vetchling, is an annual species in the family Fabaceae with yellow flowers and solitary, pea-like fruits. It originated in the Middle East and has spread throughout Europe and beyond as a ...

'' – yellow pea *''

Lathyrus aureus ''Lathyrus aureus'', the golden pea, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania. In early summer this bushy herbac ...

'' – golden pea *''

Lathyrus basalticus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *''

Lathyrus bauhinii ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *''

Lathyrus belinensis ''Lathyrus belinensis'', also known as the Belin pea is a flowering plant species in the genus ''Lathyrus'' under the Family (biology), family Fabaceae. The species was discovered in Turkey by botanists Nigel Maxted and David John Goyder and was ...

'' *''

Lathyrus biflorus ''Lathyrus biflorus'' is a rare species of wild pea known by the common name twoflower pea. It is endemic to Humboldt County, California, where it is known only from the Mount Lassic Wilderness. It is a member of the serpentine soils flora. This ...

'' – twoflower pea *''

Lathyrus bijugatus ''Lathyrus lanszwertii'' var. ''bijugatus'' is a variety of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae known by the common names drypark pea, pinewoods sweetpea, and Latah tule-pea. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Oreg ...

'' – drypark pea *'' Lathyrus blepharicarpus'' – ciliate vetchling *'' Lathyrus boissieri'' *'' Lathyrus brachycalyx'' – Bonneville pea *'' Lathyrus cassius'' *''

Lathyrus chloranthus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *'' Lathyrus cicera'' – red pea *'' Lathyrus ciliolatus'' *''

Lathyrus cirrhosus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *'' Lathyrus clymenum'' – Spanish vetchling *''

Lathyrus crassipes ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' – ''arvejilla'' *'' Lathyrus cyaneus'' *'' Lathyrus davidii'' *'' Lathyrus decaphyllus'' – prairie vetchling *''

Lathyrus delnorticus ''Lathyrus delnorticus'' is an uncommon species of wild pea known by the common name Del Norte pea. It is native to the Klamath Mountains of southern Oregon and northern California, where it is a member of the serpentine soils flora. This is a ...

'' – Del Norte pea *''

Lathyrus digitatus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *''

Lathyrus eucosmus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 spec ...

'' – seemly vetchling, bush vetchling *''

Lathyrus filiformis ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *'' Lathyrus gloeospermus'' *''

Lathyrus gorgoni ''Lathyrus gorgoni'' is a species of annual herb in the family Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,Lathyrus graminifolius'' – grassleaf pea *''

Lathyrus grandiflorus ''Lathyrus grandiflorus'', two-flowered everlasting pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to southern Europe. Growing to tall, it is a twining herbaceous perennial with grey-green leaves and, in late summer, bright ...

'' – twoflower everlasting pea *'' Lathyrus grimesii'' – Grimes' pea *'' Lathyrus heterophyllus'' – Norfolk everlasting pea *''

Lathyrus hirsutus ''Lathyrus hirsutus'' is a species of wild pea known by several common names, including Caley pea, singletary pea, hairy vetchling, and Austrian winter pea. It is native to Europe, North Africa, and much of Asia, and it is known from other con ...

'' – hairy vetchling *''

Lathyrus hitchcockianus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 spec ...

'' – Bullfrog Mountain pea *''

Lathyrus holochlorus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' – thinleaf pea *''

Lathyrus hygrophilus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *'' Lathyrus inconspicuus'' *'' Lathyrus incurvus'' *''

Lathyrus japonicus ''Lathyrus japonicus'', the sea pea, beach pea, circumpolar pea or sea vetchling, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to temperate coastal areas of the Northern Hemisphere and Argentina. It is a herbaceous per ...

'' – sea pea, beach pea *'' Lathyrus jepsonii'' – delta tule pea *'' Lathyrus laetivirens'' – aspen pea *''

Lathyrus laevigatus ''Lathyrus laevigatus'' is a flowering plant of the genus ''Lathyrus'' in the legume family Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,Lathyrus lanszwertii ''Lathyrus lanszwertii'' is a species of sweet pea The sweet pea, ''Lathyrus odoratus'', is a flowering plant in the genus ''Lathyrus'' in the family (biology), family Fabaceae (legumes), native plant, native to Sicily, southern Italy and the ...

'' – Nevada pea *''

Lathyrus latifolius ''Lathyrus latifolius'', the perennial peavine, perennial pea, broad-leaved everlasting-pea, or just everlasting pea, is a robust, sprawling herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe but is present on ...

'' – everlasting pea, perennial pea *''

Lathyrus laxiflorus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *''

Lathyrus libani ''Lathyrus libani'', the Lebanon vetchling is a species of wild peas in the legume family, Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,

'' – Lebanon vetchling *'' Lathyrus linifolius'' – bitter vetch, heath pea *''

Lathyrus littoralis ''Lathyrus littoralis'' is a species of wild pea known by the common name silky beach pea. It is native to the coastline of western North America from British Columbia to California. It is a resident of beaches and dunes. This is a perennial he ...

'' – silky beach pea *''

Lathyrus macropus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *'' Lathyrus magellanicus'' *''

Lathyrus nervosus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 spec ...

'' – Lord Anson's blue pea *'' Lathyrus nevadensis'' – Sierra pea *'' Lathyrus niger'' – black pea *'' Lathyrus nissolia'' – grass vetchling *''

Lathyrus nudicaulis ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *''

Lathyrus ochroleucus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' – cream pea *'' Lathyrus ochrus'' – Cyprus-vetch *'' Lathyrus odoratus'' – sweet pea *''

Lathyrus palustris ''Lathyrus palustris'' is a species of wild pea known by the common name marsh pea. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. It is a perennial herb with leaves made up of oval-shaped or oblong leaflets a few centimeters long. It has bran ...

'' – marsh pea *''

Lathyrus pannonicus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native species, native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Eu ...

'' *'' Lathyrus pauciflorus'' – fewflower pea *'' Lathyrus pisiformis'' *''

Lathyrus polyphyllus ''Lathyrus polyphyllus'' is a species of wild pea known by the common name leafy pea. It is native to the western United States from Washington to northern California, where it grows in forest and other habitat. This is a perennial herb with lon ...

'' – leafy pea *''

Lathyrus pratensis ''Lathyrus pratensis'' or meadow vetchling, yellow pea, meadow pea and meadow pea-vine, is a perennial legume that grows to 1.2 m in height. The hermaphrodite flowers are pollinated by bees. As a perennial, this plant reproduces itself over m ...

'' – meadow vetchling *''

Lathyrus pseudocicera ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *'' Lathyrus pubescens'' *'' Lathyrus pusillus'' – tiny pea, singletary vetchling *'' Lathyrus quinquenervius'' *''

Lathyrus rigidus ''Lathyrus rigidus'' is a species of wild pea known by the common name stiff pea. It is native to the Modoc Plateau and surrounding areas in the western United States from northeastern California to Idaho. It is a plant of the sagebrush scrub an ...

'' – stiff pea *''

Lathyrus roseus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species ...

'' *'' Lathyrus sativus'' – Indian pea, white pea, chickling vetch *''

Lathyrus sphaericus ''Lathyrus sphaericus'' is a species of wild pea known by the common names grass pea and round-seeded vetchling. It is native to Eurasia and much of Africa, and it is known on other continents as an introduced species. It can grow in many types ...

'' – grass pea *''

Lathyrus splendens ''Lathyrus splendens'' is a species of wild pea known by the common names pride of California and Campo pea. It is native to Baja California and its range extends into San Diego County, California, where it grows in the chaparral. This is a cli ...

'' – pride of California *''

Lathyrus sulphureus ''Lathyrus sulphureus'' is a species of wild pea known by the common names snub pea and sulphur pea. It is native to the mountains of northern California and Oregon, where it grows in forest and woodland. Description ''Lathyrus sulphureus'' is ...

'' – snub pea *'' Lathyrus sylvestris'' – flat pea *''

Lathyrus szowitsii ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 spec ...

'' *''

Lathyrus tingitanus ''Lathyrus tingitanus'' is a species of wild pea known by the common name Tangier pea. It is native to southwestern Europe and Northwest Africa, and it is present in other regions of the world as an introduced species, including the Pacific Nort ...

'' – Tangier pea *''

Lathyrus torreyi ''Lathyrus torreyi'', also known as Torrey's peavine and redwood pea, is a perennial legume native to wooded regions of the West Coast of the United States The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, ...

'' – Torrey's peavine *'' Lathyrus tuberosus'' – tuberous pea *''

Lathyrus undulatus ''Lathyrus undulatus'', also known as wavy pea, is a flowering plant in the genus ''Lathyrus'', which is in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Turkey, specifically the northwest slopes of Trabzon, Rize, Bolu, Bursa, Sakarya; as well as Crimea, ...

'' – wavy pea *'' Lathyrus vaniotii'' – Korean mountain vetchling *''

Lathyrus venetus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 spec ...

'' *'' Lathyrus venosus'' – veiny pea, bushy vetchling *'' Lathyrus vernus'' – spring pea *''

Lathyrus vestitus ''Lathyrus vestitus'' is a species of wild pea known by the common name Pacific pea. It is native to western North America, where it is mostly found in the forests, woodlands, and chaparral of California. The ranges of some subspecies extend int ...

'' – Pacific pea *''

Lathyrus vinealis ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 spec ...

'' *'' Lathyrus whitei''

Ecology

''Lathyrus'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species, including the

grey chi The grey chi (; ''Antitype chi'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is distributed throughout Europe, although it is not present in southern S ...

(''Antitype chi'') and the

latticed heath The latticed heath (''Chiasmia clathrata'') is a moth of the family Geometridae, belonging to the subfamily Ennominae, placed in the tribe Macariini. The genus was erected by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Taxon ...

(''Chiasmia clathrata''), both recorded on

meadow vetchling ''Lathyrus pratensis'' or meadow vetchling, yellow pea, meadow pea and meadow pea-vine, is a perennial legume that grows to 1.2 m in height. The hermaphrodite flowers are pollinated by bees. As a perennial, this plant reproduces itself over man ...

(''Lathyrus pratensis''), and ''

Chionodes braunella ''Chionodes braunella'' is a moth in the family Gelechiidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded from Alberta and British Columbia to Colorado, Arizona, California and to Washington, southern Ontario and Maine. The larvae f ...

''.

Notes

External links

*
Calflora Database: ''Lathyrus'' species index

Jepson Flora Project: Key to ''Lathyrus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q157209 Fabaceae genera Garden plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus