Pisum
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 accepts three species, one with two subspecies:
- Pisum abyssinicum
- Pisum fulvum
- Pisum sativum - pea
- *Pisum sativum subsp. elatius
- *Pisum sativum subsp. sativum
Pisum sativum is a major human food crop.
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, 5 petals, 10 stamens and 1 subsessil carpel.Etymology
‘Pisum’ is the ancient Latin name for the pea.
