Lathyrus

Lathyrus is a genus of flowering plants, family Fabaceae, comprising approximately 160 species with 181 currently accepted, commonly called peavines or vetchlings, native to temperate regions across Europe, with 52 species, North America with 30, Asia with 78, tropical East Africa with 24 and temperate South America with 24. Both annual and perennial forms exist, climbing or bushy in growth habit, and the genus includes numerous synonyms including Pisum, an ancient Latin name for the pea; several species have culinary uses, including the pea, Lathyrus oleraceus, the Indian pea, Lathyrus sativus, and the red pea, Lathyrus cicera, while the sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus, and the everlasting pea, Lathyrus latifolius, are popular ornamental garden plants with flowers ranging from rose and red to purple and blue; some species contain toxic compounds that can cause lathyrism if consumed in large quantities.