Relatives
Pisum elatius Bieb. - Field peas.
Taxonomic position.
Family Fabaceae Lindl., genus Pisum L.The basic synonyms.
Pisum humile Boiss and Noe; Pisum sativum L. subsp. elatius (Bieb.) Aschers. & Graebn.).Morphology and biology.
An annual plant up to 1 m in height, it has a glaucescent color. Stems are rigid, sometimes branchy. Stipules are rather large; in the bottom part of the plant, there are non-uniform denticles. Leaves consist of 2-3 pairs of rather large leaflets, with small denticles on its edge; they have an oblong or elliptical form. The leaf axis ends in branchy, short tendrils. Inflorescences usually consist of two flowers; they are 2-3 times longer than stipules. Flowers are about 2.5 cm in length. Flag is lilac or purple; wings are dark purple. Keel is usually pink. Pods are 6-10 cm in length, about 1 cm wide; they are rigid, with dark brown color when mature; easily dehiscent. Seeds are spherical, up to 5 mm in diameter, with thin, tuberculate seed coat, dark brown, sometimes with dark spots. Blossoms in June; produces fruit in July-August.Distribution.
The common distribution area includes the Western and East Mediterranean, Balkan-Asia Minor, and Iran. Within the former USSR, the species occurs in the European region (Moldova, Black Sea Coast, Crimea) and the Caucasus (all areas except Southern Transcaucasia and the high mountains).Ecology.
Occurs along forest margins, among bushes, in meadows, and sometimes in crops.Use and economic value.
It is cultivated with mixed grasses as a fodder plant. A weed in crops. The wild relative of cultivated peas.References.
Cherepanov S.K. 1995. Plantae Vasculares Rossicae et Civitatum Collimitanearum (in limicis USSR olim). St. Petersburg, Mir I Semia, 990 p. (in Russian).Galushko A.I. 1980. Flora of the North Caucasus: A manual. Vol. 2. Rostov University, p. 352. (in Russian).
Grossgeim A.A. 1952. Flora of the Caucasus. Vol. 5. Moscow-Leningrad: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 563 p. (in Russian).
Shishkin B.K., Bobrov E.G., eds. 1948. Flora of the USSR. Vol. 13. M.-L.: Publishing House of Acad. Science, p. 524. (in Russian).
Vulf E.V., Maleyeva O.F. 1969. Worldwide resources of useful plants. Reference book. Leningrad: Nauka, 563 p. (in Russian).