Lathyrus Explained

Lathyrus [1] is a genus of flowering plantsin 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.[2] 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.[3] The genus has numerous synonyms, including Pisum, the ancient Latin name for the pea.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  2. Asmussen, C. B . A. Liston.. Chloroplast DNA characters, phylogeny, and classification of Lathyrus (Fabaceae). American Journal of Botany. March 1998 . 85. 3. 387–401. 10.2307/2446332 . 2446332. 21684923. free.
  3. Book: Fred, Edwin Broun . Baldwin, Ira Lawrence . McCoy, Elizabeth . 1932 . Root Nodule Bacteria and Leguminous Plants . UW-Madison Libraries Parallel Press . 978-1-893311-28-2 . 142.
  4. Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 304
  5. Barrow, M. V.. Lathyrism: A Review . 1974 . The Quarterly Review of Biology . 49 . 2 . 101–128 . 10.1086/408017 . 4601279 . 2820941. 33451792 . etal.
  6. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?6554 GRIN Species Records of Lathyrus.
  7. Book: English Names for Korean Native Plants. Korea National Arboretum. 2015. 978-89-97450-98-5. Pocheon. 511. 22 December 2016. Korea Forest Service. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170525105020/http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf. 25 May 2017.
  8. de Valpine . Perry . Harte . John . https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/0012-9658(2001)082[0637:PRTEWI2.0.CO;2 Plant Responses to Experimental Warming in a Montane Meadow ]. 1 March 2001 . Ecology . 82 . 3 . 637–648. 10.1890/0012-9658(2001)082[0637:PRTEWI]2.0.CO;2 .

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