Pisum

Pisum
Pisum sativum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Clade:	Inverted repeat-lacking clade
Tribe:	Fabeae
Genus:	Pisum L.
Type species
Pisum sativum L.

Pisum is a genus of the family Fabaceae, native to southwest Asia and northeast Africa. It contains one to five species, depending on taxonomic interpretation; the International Legume Database (ILDIS) accepts three species, one with two subspecies:

• Pisum abyssinicum (syn. P. sativum subsp. abyssinicum)
• Pisum fulvum
• Pisum sativum - pea
  • Pisum sativum subsp. elatius (syn. P. elatius, P. syriacum)
  • Pisum sativum subsp. sativum

Pisum sativum (the field or garden pea) is a major human food crop (see Pea and Split pea).

Pisum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix pyrivorella, cabbage moth, common swift, ghost moth, Hypercompe indecisa, the nutmeg, setaceous Hebrew character and turnip moth.

The Pisum sativum flower has 5 sepals (fused), 5 petals, 10 stamens (9 fused in a staminal tube and 1 stamen is free) and 1 subsessil carpel.

Etymology

‘Pisum’ is the ancient Latin name for the pea.