Everlasting pea
Encyclopedia
Lathyrus latifolius, the perennial peavine, perennial pea or everlasting pea, is a flowering plant of the genus Lathyrus
in the legume family Fabaceae
. It is native to Europe but is present on other continents, such as North America, where it is an introduced species
.
about 2" long. The leaflets are narrowly ovate or oblong-ovate, smooth along the margins, hairless and up to 3" long and 1" across. There is a branched tendrils between the leaflets.
, with an upper standard and lower keel, enclosed by lateral petals. There are 5 petals, which are purplish pink, fading with age. There is a green calyx with 5 teeth, often unequal. The blooming period lasts about 2 months during the summer and early autumn.
. The seeds are dark and oblong to reniform in shape.
from its taproot and rhizomes, or by reseeding.
herbaceous
vine
, originating in southern Europe, which can climb to 6 feet or more by means of twining tendrils
, but in open areas sprawls. It is frost hardy, long-lived and slowly spreading. The foliage becomes rather ragged and yellowish by the end of summer.
It requires partial to full sun and moist, mesic or slightly dry loam
or clay-loam soil that is moist, mesic
, or slightly dry. It is less strongly scented than the related annual
sweet pea
, Lathyrus odoratus, with which it may be confused. While grown as a garden plant it may be pervasive and difficult to remove. Because of this, this species is often considered to be a weed
despite its attractive appearance.
), the caterpillars of Grammia oithona (Oithona Tiger Moth
) and some herbivores feed on the leaves. However the seeds are poisonous.
Lathyrus
Lathyrus is a genus of flowering plant species known as sweet peas and vetchlings. Lathyrus is in the legume family Fabaceae and contains approximately 160 species. They are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species in North America, 78 in Asia, 24 in...
in the legume family Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
. It is native to Europe but is present on other continents, such as North America, where it is an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
.
Morphology
L. latifolius has winged hairless stems, and alternating blue green compound leaves consisting of a single pair of leaflets and a winged petiolePetiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
about 2" long. The leaflets are narrowly ovate or oblong-ovate, smooth along the margins, hairless and up to 3" long and 1" across. There is a branched tendrils between the leaflets.
Racemes
Short racemes of 4-11 flowers are produced from the axils of the leaves. The flowers, which are unscented, are about ¾–1" across with a typical structure for FaboideaeFaboideae
Faboideae is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. One acceptable alternative name for the subfamily is Papilionoideae....
, with an upper standard and lower keel, enclosed by lateral petals. There are 5 petals, which are purplish pink, fading with age. There is a green calyx with 5 teeth, often unequal. The blooming period lasts about 2 months during the summer and early autumn.
Seeds
The flowers are replaced by hairless flattened seedpods, about 2" long and ½" wide, with several seeds inside. The seedpod, which is initially green, gradually turns brown, splitting open into curled segments, flinging out the seedsSEEDS
SEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
. The seeds are dark and oblong to reniform in shape.
Reproduction
L. latifolius can reproduce vegetativelyVegetative reproduction
Vegetative reproduction is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. It is a process by which new individuals arise without production of seeds or spores...
from its taproot and rhizomes, or by reseeding.
Cultivation and habits
L. latifolius is a perennialPerennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
vine
Vine
A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...
, originating in southern Europe, which can climb to 6 feet or more by means of twining tendrils
Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
, but in open areas sprawls. It is frost hardy, long-lived and slowly spreading. The foliage becomes rather ragged and yellowish by the end of summer.
It requires partial to full sun and moist, mesic or slightly dry loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
or clay-loam soil that is moist, mesic
Mesic habitat
In ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture, e.g., a mesic forest, a temperate hardwood forest, or dry-mesic prairie. Compared to a dry habitat, a mesic habitat is moister....
, or slightly dry. It is less strongly scented than the related annual
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
sweet pea
Sweet pea
Sweet pea is a flowering plant in the genus Lathyrus in the family Fabaceae , native to the eastern Mediterranean region from Sicily east to Crete....
, Lathyrus odoratus, with which it may be confused. While grown as a garden plant it may be pervasive and difficult to remove. Because of this, this species is often considered to be a weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
despite its attractive appearance.
Varieties
There are two varieties, a white flower with a pink flush (Blushing Bride) and a pure white flower (White Pearl).Relations to insect life
Bumblebees pollinate the flowers. Butterflies visit the flowers for their nectar, but do not pollinate. Epicauta fabricii (Fabricius Blister BeetleBlister beetle
Blister beetles are beetles of the family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. There are approximately 7,500 known species worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be...
), the caterpillars of Grammia oithona (Oithona Tiger Moth
Grammia
Grammia is a genus of moth in the family Arctiidae.-Species:* Grammia allectans Ferguson, 1985* Grammia anna * Grammia arge * Grammia behrii * Grammia blakei...
) and some herbivores feed on the leaves. However the seeds are poisonous.