Lathyrus

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.
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.
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 (syn. Lathyrus 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.
Notes
External links
Calflora Database: Lathyrus species index
Jepson Flora Project: Key to Lathyrus
Fabaceae genera
Garden plants
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus