Relatives
Lathyrus sylvestris L.- Flat Pea-vine, Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea.
Taxonomic position.
Family Fabaceae Lindl. genus Lathyrus L.Morphology and biology.
Perennial plant up to 2 m tall. Stems winged, costate, ascending or climbing by means of branched tendrils. Stipules semi-sagittate, up to 2 cm long. Petioles and leaf rachis winged. Rachis ends with branched tendril. Leaf consists of one pair of lanceolate acuminate leaflets, 5-15 cm long, 6-25 (40) mm wide, with distinct longitudinal veins. Peduncles slightly angular, long. Inflorescence a raceme of 3-10 flowers. Pedicels thick, longer than calyx. Flowers 1-2 cm long, pink. Calyx broadly campanulate. Calyx teeth acuminate, triangular-lanceolate, lowest one is the longest and as long as the calyx tube; uppermost are the shortest. Standard gradually narrowed into a short claw. Wings pink, shorter than standard on narrow short claws. Keel as long as wings, broadening on narrow claw. Pods oblong-linear, laterally compressed, narrowed toward both ends, 6-7 cm long and about 1 cm wide, yellowish. Pod valves with longitudinal-reticulate venation, with three convex scabrous longitudinal ribs along upper suture. Seeds globose or oblong, slightly tuberculate. Hilum makes about a half of the seed circuit. Flowers in June-August, fruits in August-September. Entomophilous. Zoochore. 2n=14.Distribution.
General distribution: Europe. In the former USSR . European part: from Dvina-Pechora region to Black Sea; Caucasus . Ciscaucasia and Transcaucasia.Ecology.
In forest fringes and glades, meadows, among shrubberies.Use and economic value.
Forage . used for hay. Ornamental. Melliferous.References:
Galushko AI. 1980. Flora of the North Caucasus. Handbook. V.2. P.167. (In Russian).Grossgeim AA. 1952. Flora of Caucasus. V.5. Moscow; Leningrad. P.405.(In Russian).
Wulf VV., Maleyeva OF. 1969. The World Resources of the Useful Plants. Reference book. Leningrad: Nauka, P.232. (In Russian).
Fedorov AA., ed. 1987. Flora of the European part of the USSR. V.6. P.151. (In Russian).
Shishkin BK., Bobrov EG, ed. 1945. Flora USSR. V.13. P.492-493. (In Russian).
Cherepanov SK. 1995. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR). St.Petersburg. 990 p. (In Russian).