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 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. The genus has numerous synonyms, including Pisum, the ancient Latin name for the pea.

Species

181 species are currently accepted.

• Lathyrus acutifolius

• Lathyrus alamutensis

• Lathyrus alpestris

• Lathyrus amphicarpos

• Lathyrus angulatus – angled pea

• Lathyrus anhuiensis

• Lathyrus annuus – red fodder pea

• Lathyrus apenninus

• Lathyrus aphaca – yellow pea

• Lathyrus armenus

• Lathyrus articulatus

• Lathyrus atropatanus

• Lathyrus aureus – golden pea

• Lathyrus basalticus

• Lathyrus bauhini

• Lathyrus belinensis

• Lathyrus berteroanus

• Lathyrus biflorus – twoflower pea

• Lathyrus bijugus – drypark pea

• Lathyrus binatus

• Lathyrus bitlisicus

• Lathyrus blepharicarpos – ciliate vetchling

• Lathyrus boissieri

• Lathyrus brachycalyx – Bonneville pea

• Lathyrus brachyodon

• Lathyrus brachypterus

• Lathyrus brownii

• Lathyrus cabrerianus

• Lathyrus campestris

• Lathyrus cassius

• Lathyrus caudatus

• Lathyrus chloranthus

• Lathyrus chrysanthus

• Lathyrus cicera – red pea

• Lathyrus ciliatidentatus

• Lathyrus cilicicus

• Lathyrus ciliolatus

• Lathyrus cirpicii

• Lathyrus cirrhosus

• Lathyrus clymenum – Spanish vetchling

• Lathyrus colchicus

• Lathyrus crassipes – arvejilla

• Lathyrus cyaneus

• Lathyrus czeczottianus

• Lathyrus davidii

• Lathyrus decaphyllus – prairie vetchling

• Lathyrus delnorticus – Del Norte pea

• Lathyrus dielsianus

• Lathyrus digitatus

• Lathyrus elegans

• Lathyrus elongatus

• Lathyrus emodi

• Lathyrus eucosmus – seemly vetchling, bush vetchling

• Lathyrus filiformis

• Lathyrus fissus

• Lathyrus formosus – Vavilovia

• Lathyrus frolovii

• Lathyrus fulvus

• Lathyrus glandulosus

• Lathyrus gloeosperma

• Lathyrus gmelinii

• Lathyrus golanensis

• Lathyrus gorgoni

• Lathyrus graminifolius – grassleaf pea

• Lathyrus grandiflorus – twoflower everlasting pea

• Lathyrus grimesii – Grimes' pea

• Lathyrus hallersteinii

• Lathyrus hasslerianus

• Lathyrus heterophyllus – Norfolk everlasting pea

• Lathyrus hierosolymitanus

• Lathyrus hirsutus – hairy vetchling

• Lathyrus hirticarpus

• Lathyrus hitchcockianus – Bullfrog Mountain pea

• Lathyrus holochlorus – thinleaf pea

• Lathyrus hookeri

• Lathyrus humilis

• Lathyrus hygrophilus

• Lathyrus inconspicuus

• Lathyrus incurvus

• Lathyrus japonicus – sea pea, beach pea

• Lathyrus jepsonii – delta tule pea

• Lathyrus karsianus

• Lathyrus ketzkhovelii

• Lathyrus komarovii

• Lathyrus krylovii

• Lathyrus laetivirens – aspen pea

• Lathyrus laevigatus

Lathyrus lanszwertii – Nevada pea

• Lathyrus lanszwertii var. aridus

• Lathyrus lanszwertii var. arizonicus

• Lathyrus lanszwertii var. bijugatus – drypark pea

• Lathyrus lanszwertii var. lanszwertii

• Lathyrus lanszwertii var. pallescens

• Lathyrus latifolius – everlasting pea, perennial pea

• Lathyrus laxiflorus

• Lathyrus lentiformis

• Lathyrus leptophyllus

• Lathyrus libani – Lebanon vetchling

• Lathyrus linearifolius

• Lathyrus linifolius – bitter vetch, heath pea

• Lathyrus littoralis – silky beach pea

• Lathyrus lomanus

• Lathyrus lycicus

• Lathyrus macropus

• Lathyrus macrostachys

• Lathyrus magellanicus

• Lathyrus marmoratus

• Lathyrus meridensis

• Lathyrus miniatus

• Lathyrus mulkak

• Lathyrus multiceps

• Lathyrus multijugus

• Lathyrus nervosus – Lord Anson's blue pea

• Lathyrus neurolobus

• Lathyrus nevadensis – Sierra pea

• Lathyrus niger – black pea

• Lathyrus nigrivalvis

• Lathyrus nissolia – grass vetchling

• Lathyrus nitens

• Lathyrus nivalis

• Lathyrus numidicus

• Lathyrus ochroleucus – cream pea

• Lathyrus ochrus – Cyprus-vetch

• Lathyrus odoratus – sweet pea

• Lathyrus oleraceus – pea

• Lathyrus pallescens

• Lathyrus palustris – marsh pea

• Lathyrus pancicii

• Lathyrus pannonicus

• Lathyrus paraguariensis

• Lathyrus paranensis

• Lathyrus parodii

• Lathyrus pauciflorus – fewflower pea

• Lathyrus pisiformis

• Lathyrus polyphyllus – leafy pea

• Lathyrus pratensis – meadow vetchling

• Lathyrus pseudocicera

• Lathyrus pubescens

• Lathyrus pusillus – tiny pea, singletary vetchling

• Lathyrus pygmaeus

• Lathyrus quinquenervius

• Lathyrus rigidus – stiff pea

• Lathyrus roseus

• Lathyrus rotundifolius

• Lathyrus satdaghensis

• Lathyrus sativus – Indian pea, white pea, chickling vetch

• Lathyrus saxatilis

• Lathyrus sericeus

• Lathyrus setifolius

• Lathyrus spathulatus

• Lathyrus speciosus

• Lathyrus sphaericus – grass pea

• Lathyrus splendens – pride of California

• Lathyrus stenolobus

• Lathyrus stenophyllus

• Lathyrus subandinus

• Lathyrus subulatus

• Lathyrus sulphureus – snub pea

• Lathyrus sylvestris – flat pea

• Lathyrus tauricola

• Lathyrus tefennicus

• Lathyrus tingitanus – Tangier pea

• Lathyrus torreyi – Torrey's peavine

• Lathyrus × tournefortii

• Lathyrus trachycarpus

• Lathyrus tracyi

• Lathyrus transsylvanicus

• Lathyrus tremolsianus

• Lathyrus tropicalandinus

• Lathyrus tuberosus – tuberous pea

• Lathyrus tukhtensis

• Lathyrus undulatus – wavy pea

• Lathyrus vaniotii – Korean mountain vetchling

• Lathyrus venetus

• Lathyrus venosus – veiny pea, bushy vetchling

• Lathyrus vernus – spring pea

• Lathyrus vestitus – Pacific pea

• Lathyrus vinealis

• Lathyrus vivantii

• Lathyrus whitei

• Lathyrus woronowii

• Lathyrus zalaghensis

Ecology

Lathyrus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the grey chi (Antitype chi) and the latticed heath (Chiasmia clathrata), both recorded on meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), and Chionodes braunella. Lathyrus growth abundance and size both decrease in response to increased temperatures in montane meadows.

Uses

Several species are grown for food, including the pea (Lathyrus oleraceus), 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 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, a serious disease.

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.

Notes

External links

• Calflora Database:

• Jepson Flora Project: Key to