# Lathyrus

Lathyrus /ˈlæθɪrəs/ 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 Vogel
* Lathyrus alamutensis Mozaff., Ahavazi & Charkhch.
* Lathyrus alpestris (Waldst. & Kit.) Kit.
* Lathyrus amphicarpos L.
* Lathyrus angulatus L. – angled pea
* Lathyrus anhuiensis Y.J.Zhu & R.X.Meng
* Lathyrus annuus L. – red fodder pea
* Lathyrus apenninus F.Conti
* Lathyrus aphaca L. – yellow pea
* Lathyrus armenus (Boiss. & A.Huet) Čelak.
* Lathyrus articulatus L.
* Lathyrus atropatanus (Grossh.) Širj.
* Lathyrus aureus (G.Lodd. ex Drapiez) D.Brândză – golden pea
* Lathyrus basalticus Rech.f.
* Lathyrus bauhini P.A.Genty
* Lathyrus belinensis Maxted & Goyder
* Lathyrus berteroanus Colla
* Lathyrus biflorus T.W.Nelson & J.P.Nelson – twoflower pea
* Lathyrus bijugus Boiss. & Noë – drypark pea
* Lathyrus binatus Pančić
* Lathyrus bitlisicus Peşmen & Güner
* Lathyrus blepharicarpos Boiss. – ciliate vetchling
* Lathyrus boissieri Širj.
* Lathyrus brachycalyx Rydb. – Bonneville pea
* Lathyrus brachyodon Murb.
* Lathyrus brachypterus Čelak.
* Lathyrus brownii Eastw.
* Lathyrus cabrerianus Burkart
* Lathyrus campestris Phil.
* Lathyrus cassius Boiss.
* Lathyrus caudatus C.F.Wei & H.P.Tsui
* Lathyrus chloranthus Boiss. & Balansa
* Lathyrus chrysanthus Boiss.
* Lathyrus cicera L. – red pea
* Lathyrus ciliatidentatus Czefr.
* Lathyrus cilicicus Hayek & Siehe
* Lathyrus ciliolatus Sam. ex Rech.f.
* Lathyrus cirpicii Güneş
* Lathyrus cirrhosus Ser.
* Lathyrus clymenum L. – Spanish vetchling
* Lathyrus colchicus Lipsky
* Lathyrus crassipes Gillies ex Hook. & Arn. – arvejilla
* Lathyrus cyaneus (Steven) K.Koch
* Lathyrus czeczottianus Bässler
* Lathyrus davidii Hance
* Lathyrus decaphyllus Pursh – prairie vetchling
* Lathyrus delnorticus C.L.Hitchc. – Del Norte pea
* Lathyrus dielsianus Harms
* Lathyrus digitatus (M.Bieb.) Fiori
* Lathyrus elegans Vogel
* Lathyrus elongatus (Bornm.) Širj.
* Lathyrus emodi (Wall. ex Fritsch) Fritsch ex T.Durand & B.D.Jacks.
* Lathyrus eucosmus Butters & H.St.John – seemly vetchling, bush vetchling
* Lathyrus filiformis (Lam.) J.Gay
* Lathyrus fissus Ball
* Lathyrus formosus (Steven) Kenicer – Vavilovia
* Lathyrus frolovii Fisch. ex Rupr.
* Lathyrus fulvus (Sm.) Kosterin
* Lathyrus glandulosus Broich
* Lathyrus gloeosperma Warb. & Eig
* Lathyrus gmelinii (Fisch. ex Ser.) Fritsch
* Lathyrus golanensis O.Cohen & Plitmann
* Lathyrus gorgoni Parl.
* Lathyrus graminifolius (S.Watson) T.G.White – grassleaf pea
* Lathyrus grandiflorus Sm. – twoflower everlasting pea
* Lathyrus grimesii Barneby – Grimes' pea
* Lathyrus hallersteinii Baumg.
* Lathyrus hasslerianus Burkart
* Lathyrus heterophyllus L. – Norfolk everlasting pea
* Lathyrus hierosolymitanus Boiss.
* Lathyrus hirsutus L. – hairy vetchling
* Lathyrus hirticarpus Mattatia & Heyn
* Lathyrus hitchcockianus Barneby & Reveal – Bullfrog Mountain pea
* Lathyrus holochlorus (Piper) C.L.Hitchc. – thinleaf pea
* Lathyrus hookeri G.Don
* Lathyrus humilis (Ser.) Fisch. ex Spreng.
* Lathyrus hygrophilus Taub.
* Lathyrus inconspicuus L.
* Lathyrus incurvus (Roth) Willd.
* Lathyrus japonicus Willd. – sea pea, beach pea
* Lathyrus jepsonii Greene – delta tule pea
* Lathyrus karsianus P.H.Davis
* Lathyrus ketzkhovelii Avazneli
* Lathyrus komarovii Ohwi
* Lathyrus krylovii Serg.
* Lathyrus laetivirens Greene ex Rydb. – aspen pea
* Lathyrus laevigatus (Waldst. & Kit.) Gren.
* Lathyrus lanszwertii Kellogg – Nevada pea
** Lathyrus lanszwertii var. aridus (Piper) Jeps.
** Lathyrus lanszwertii var. arizonicus (Britton) S.L.Welsh
** Lathyrus lanszwertii var. bijugatus (T.G.White) Broich – drypark pea
** Lathyrus lanszwertii var. lanszwertii
** Lathyrus lanszwertii var. pallescens Barneby
* Lathyrus latifolius L. – everlasting pea, perennial pea
* Lathyrus laxiflorus (Desf.) Kuntze
* Lathyrus lentiformis Plitmann
* Lathyrus leptophyllus M.Bieb.
* Lathyrus libani Fritsch – Lebanon vetchling
* Lathyrus linearifolius Vogel
* Lathyrus linifolius (Reichard) Bässler – bitter vetch, heath pea
* Lathyrus littoralis (Nutt.) Endl. ex Walp. – silky beach pea
* Lathyrus lomanus I.M.Johnst.
* Lathyrus lycicus Boiss. & Heldr.
* Lathyrus macropus Gillies ex Hook. & Arn.
* Lathyrus macrostachys Vogel
* Lathyrus magellanicus Lam.
* Lathyrus marmoratus Boiss. & Balansa
* Lathyrus meridensis Pittier
* Lathyrus miniatus M.Bieb. ex Steven
* Lathyrus mulkak Lipsky
* Lathyrus multiceps Clos
* Lathyrus multijugus (Ledeb.) Czefr.
* Lathyrus nervosus Lam. – Lord Anson's blue pea
* Lathyrus neurolobus Boiss. & Heldr.
* Lathyrus nevadensis S.Watson – Sierra pea
* Lathyrus niger (L.) Bernh. – black pea
* Lathyrus nigrivalvis Burkart
* Lathyrus nissolia L. – grass vetchling
* Lathyrus nitens Vogel
* Lathyrus nivalis Hand.-Mazz.
* Lathyrus numidicus Batt.
* Lathyrus ochroleucus Hook. – cream pea
* Lathyrus ochrus (L.) DC. – Cyprus-vetch
* Lathyrus odoratus L. – sweet pea
* Lathyrus oleraceus Lam. – pea
* Lathyrus pallescens (M.Bieb.) K.Koch
* Lathyrus palustris L. – marsh pea
* Lathyrus pancicii (Jurišić) Adamović
* Lathyrus pannonicus (Jacq.) Garcke
* Lathyrus paraguariensis Hassl.
* Lathyrus paranensis Burkart
* Lathyrus parodii Burkart
* Lathyrus pauciflorus Fernald – fewflower pea
* Lathyrus pisiformis L.
* Lathyrus polyphyllus Nutt. – leafy pea
* Lathyrus pratensis L. – meadow vetchling
* Lathyrus pseudocicera Pamp.
* Lathyrus pubescens Hook. & Arn.
* Lathyrus pusillus Elliott – tiny pea, singletary vetchling
* Lathyrus pygmaeus Gomb.
* Lathyrus quinquenervius (Miq.) Litv.
* Lathyrus rigidus T.G.White – stiff pea
* Lathyrus roseus Small
* Lathyrus rotundifolius Willd.
* Lathyrus satdaghensis P.H.Davis
* Lathyrus sativus L. – Indian pea, white pea, chickling vetch
* Lathyrus saxatilis (Vent.) Vis.
* Lathyrus sericeus Lam.
* Lathyrus setifolius L.
* Lathyrus spathulatus Čelak.
* Lathyrus speciosus G.Don
* Lathyrus sphaericus Retz. – grass pea
* Lathyrus splendens Kellogg – pride of California
* Lathyrus stenolobus Boiss.
* Lathyrus stenophyllus Boiss. & Heldr.
* Lathyrus subandinus Phil.
* Lathyrus subulatus Lam.
* Lathyrus sulphureus W.H.Brewer ex A.Gray – snub pea
* Lathyrus sylvestris L. – flat pea
* Lathyrus tauricola P.H.Davis
* Lathyrus tefennicus Genç & Sahin
* Lathyrus tingitanus L. – Tangier pea
* Lathyrus torreyi A.Gray – Torrey's peavine
* Lathyrus × tournefortii (Lapeyr.) A.W.Hill
* Lathyrus trachycarpus (Boiss.) Boiss.
* Lathyrus tracyi Bradshaw
* Lathyrus transsylvanicus (Spreng.) Rchb.f.
* Lathyrus tremolsianus Pau
* Lathyrus tropicalandinus Burkart
* Lathyrus tuberosus L. – tuberous pea
* Lathyrus tukhtensis Czeczott
* Lathyrus undulatus Boiss. – wavy pea
* Lathyrus vaniotii H.Lév. – Korean mountain vetchling
* Lathyrus venetus (Mill.) Wohlf.
* Lathyrus venosus Muhl. ex Willd. – veiny pea, bushy vetchling
* Lathyrus vernus (L.) Bernh. – spring pea
* Lathyrus vestitus Nutt. – Pacific pea
* Lathyrus vinealis Boiss. & Noë
* Lathyrus vivantii P.Monts.
* Lathyrus whitei Kupicha
* Lathyrus woronowii Bornm.
* Lathyrus zalaghensis Andr.

## 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.