### vegetable:

Pea
* All peas are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron and phosphorus
  - of vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, folate, iron and phosphorus
* Most peas are in the bloom to podding stages.
* Most peas have edible flowers
  - seeds
  - white flowers
* Some peas have green seeds and others have yellow seeds.
* also contain some anti-nutritional factors that can interfere with digestion.
* are a good source of DNA because they are a seed
  - very good source of vitamin A and B-complex vitamins
  - also a rich source of microminerals, water soluble and fat soluble vitamins
  - among the world's oldest crops
* are an annual plant
  - attractive host crop for nematodes
  - difficult to grow in the spring garden
  - easy to grow and are commonly used in classrooms to teach children about plant biology
* are high in protein and promote strong muscles, bones and plumage
  - soluble fibre and therefore help prevent heart disease
  - in some places in pod
  - normally self-fertilizing, but artificial cross fertilizations are readily done
  - one of the oldest crops
  - small and lightweight, but can only be used with the aid of a special tool
* are the best fertilizer for land
  - leading cause of kidney stones and bladder stones in ferrets
  - very sensitive to atrazine residues
* can be tall or short
  - fall victim to several diseases, including powdery mildew, fusarium wilt and root rot
  - have either white or purple flowers
* come in a multitude of varieties.
* contain reasonable quantities of B vitamins.
* fix nitrogen doing miraculous things for the soil.
* freeze beautifully if they are fresh.
* grow best during cool weather.
* grow best in slightly acid , well-drained soils
  - well-drained sandy soil
  - well-drained, fertile soil
* grown on supports are less liable to destruction by birds.
* have a relatively simple genetic structure
* is responsible for the thrill and energy of falling in love and infatuation
  - structurally and pharmacologically similar to catecholamines and amphetamine
* leaves, or leaves from the pea plant.
* like to be planted in cool weather.
* means pulseless electrical activity or no heart beat but continued brain activity.
* often get pea weevils, which are nasty critters that lay eggs in the flowers or young pods
  - show very poor stands when grown in the backyard
* perform best when planted in the spring
  - very well on cereal stubble where the soil nitrogen is often depleted
* present few insect problems.
* promotes energy, elevates mood and is involved in attention, focus, and cognition.
* require a good supply of nitrogen during vegetative growth and seed formation
  - plenty of potash and phosphorus
* rot in soil that is cold and wet, so it helps to keep the rain off as well as warm the soil.
* show dwarfed plants and seeds with a thick coat.
* stimulates the nervous system and triggers release of endorphins, the body's own analgesic.
* stop producing pods.
* substance found in chocolate in trace amounts.
* thrive in cool, moist weather and produce best in cool, moderate climates.
* use tendrils to climb a trellis.
* vary widely in seed size.
+ Annual plant: Botany
+ Evolution, History, Mendel: History of science
  * Some peas have green seeds and others have yellow seeds. Mendel used artificial pollination to breed the peas. His results are discussed further in Mendelian inheritance. Darwin thought that the inheritance from both parents blended together. Mendel proved that the genes from the two parents stay separate, and may be passed on unchanged to later generations.
+ Pea, Description of 'Pisum Sativum': Faboideae :: Model organisms
  * It is a cool-season vegetable crop. They do not thrive in the summer heat of warmer temperate and lowland tropical climates, but do grow well in cooler high altitude tropical areas. Peas grow best in slightly acid, well-drained soils.