Pisum
(the old Latin name, used by Virgil, akin to the Greek Pison). Pea. ORD. Leguminosoe. A genus comprising only a couple of species of diffuse or climbing, hardy, annual herbs, one of which is much cultivated, and is here and there naturalised, in the Mediterranean region and in Western Asia, and the other is a native of the Taurian Mountains. Flowers purple, rose, or white, showy; peduncles axillary, elongated, solitary or a few racemose; calyx lobes sub-equal, or the two upper ones broader; standard broadly obovate or sub-orbicular; wings falcate-oblong, longer than the keel. Pods compressed, obliquely acute, bivalved. Leaves pinnate; common petiole terminating in a bristle or tendril; leaflets one to three-jugate. P. elatius requires similar treatment to Lathyrus. For culture, &c., of P. sativum, see Pea. P. elatius (tall). fl. pale red, with the lamina of the wings dark purple; peduncles two-flowered, erect, longer than the leaves. June to September. l., petioles terete, bearing six lanceolate-oblong leaflets; stipules rounded and crenated below. Stems erect. Iberia, 1820. Climber.
P. sativum (cultivated). fl. white or red; peduncles two or many-flowered. June to September. l., petioles terete, bearing three pairs of ovate, entire, glaucous leaflets, with undulated margins, usually opposite and mucronulate; stipules ovate, somewhat cordate, crenated at the base. South Europe. A climber, of which there are several varieties, including arvense, humile (Dwarf Pea), macrocarpum, quadratum, saccharatum (Sugar Pea), and umbellatum (Crown Pea).