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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Sweet peas
| image = Grass vetchling close 800.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = Grass Vetchling, ''Lathyrus nissolia''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Fabales]]
| familia = [[Fabaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Faboideae]]
| tribus = [[Vicieae]]
| genus = '''''Lathyrus'''''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
See text.
}}
The [[genus]] '''''Lathyrus''''' consists of the '''sweet peas''' and '''vetchlings''', [[flowering plant]]s in the [[legume]] family [[Fabaceae]]. There are approximately 160 species of ''Lathyrus''; 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.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Asmussen, Conny B; Liston, Aaron| title= Chloroplast DNA Characters, Phylogeny, and Classification of Lathyrus (Fabaceae)| journal= American Journal of Botany| year=March 1998 | volume=85| issue=3| pages= 387| url=}}</ref> There are [[Annual plant|annual]] and [[Perennial plant|perennial]] species which may be climbing or bushy. This genus has numerous sections, including ''Orobus'', which was once a separate genus.<ref>{{cite book | author = Fred, Edwin Broun; Baldwin, Ira Lawrence; McCoy, Elizabeth | date = 1932 | title = Root Nodule Bacteria and Leguminous Plants | publisher = UW-Madison Libraries Parallel Press | location = | id = ISBN 1-893311-28-7 | pages =142}}</ref>
The genus includes the garden [[sweet pea]] (''Lathyrus odoratus'') and the [[Perennial plant|perennial]] [[everlasting pea]] (''Lathyrus latifolius''). [[Flower]]s on these cultivated species may be rose, red, maroon, pink, white, yellow, purple or blue and some are bicolored; they are also fragrant, which makes them a very popular garden plant. Cultivated species are susceptible to [[fungal]] infections including downy and powdery [[mildew]]. ''Lathyrus'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Grey Chi]], [[Latticed Heath]] (both recorded on [[Meadow Vetchling]]) and ''[[Chionodes|Chionodes braunella]]''.
Other species are grown for food, including ''[[Lathyrus sativus|L. sativus]]'' and ''L. cicera'', and less commonly ''L. ochrus'' and ''L. clymenum''. ''[[Lathyrus tuberosus|L. tuberosus]]'' is grown as a [[root vegetable]] for its starchy edible [[tuber]].
The [[seed]]s of some ''Lathyrus'' species contain a toxic [[amino acid]] and if eaten in large quantities can cause [[lathyrism]], a serious disease.
== Species ==
* ''[[Lathyrus aureus]]'' (Golden Pea)
* ''[[Lathyrus annuus]]'' (Red Fodder Pea)
* ''[[Lathyrus chloranthus]]''
* ''[[Lathyrus japonicus]]'' (Sea Pea)
* ''[[Lathyrus lanszwertii]]'' (Nevada Pea)
* ''[[Everlasting pea|Lathyrus latifolius]]'' (Everlasting Pea)
* ''[[Lathyrus linifolius]]'' (Bitter Vetch)
* ''[[Lathyrus nervosus]]'' (Lord Anson's Blue Pea)
* ''[[Lathyrus nissolia]]'' (Grass Vetchling)
* ''[[Sweet pea|Lathyrus odoratus]]'' (Sweet Pea)
* ''[[Meadow vetchling|Lathyrus pratensis]]'' (Meadow Vetchling)
* ''[[Lathyrus sativus]]'' (Indian Pea)
* ''[[Lathyrus sphaericus]]'', Spring vetchling
* ''[[Lathyrus sylvestris]]'' (Flat Pea-vine)
* ''[[Lathyrus tingitanus]]'' (Tangier Pea)
* ''[[Lathyrus tuberosus]]'' (Tuberous Pea)
==Notes==
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</div>
[[Image:Lathyrus aureus0.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Golden Pea (''Lathyrus aureus'')]]
[[Image:Lathyrus vernus 030403.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Lathyrus vernus'']]
{{Commons|Lathyrus}}
[[Category:Faboideae]]
[[Category:Garden plants]]