SPECIES DESCRIPTION
PISUM SATIVUM subsp. BIFLORUM
Including the following species and subspecies.
Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE
Common Names:- Wild pea
Homotypic Synonyms:- Sativum subsp. elatius
Meaning:- Pisum (L) Pea.
Sativum (L) Planted, cultivated, not wild, sown.
Biflorum (L) Two flowered
General description:- Glabrous annual
Stems:-
1) Up to 200 cm. weak, scrambling, terete.
Leaves:-
1) Leaflets, 1-3 pairs, smaller than the stipules, elliptical, rhachis terminating in a
branched tendril.
2) Stipules: very large. broadly ovate, ± cordate at the base.
Flowers:-
1) Racemes, axillary, in 1-3-flowered, longer than the leaves.
2) Calyx teeth, large and ± leaf-like.
3) Corolla, 20-25 mm.
a) standard a lilac-purple.
b) wings dark maroon.
Fruit:-
1) Legume, 60-80 x l0-14 mm, oblong to broadly linear. faintly reticulate-veined.
2) Seeds, c. 10, spherical, densely papillose.
Habitat:- Bushy places, dry open shrubby vegetation, cultivated, fallow and waste
ground. 0-400(-1200) m.
Distribution:- Native to the E Mediterranean area and SW Asia. Rare on Crete
known from only a few scattered locations. Domesticated since Neolithic times and
now a major food crop
Flowering time:- Apr-July.
Photos by:
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PISUM SATIVUM subsp. HUMILE
Synonyms:- Sativum subsp. elatius
Meaning:- Humile (L) Low-growing, close to the ground.
Resembling Sativum subsp. biflorum, but differering in the following characters
1) Plants, smaller and more slender.
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, scrubland vegetation, grorges and roadside
thickets at 300-l000(-1400) m.
Distribution:- Apparently this subspecies is confined to Crete
Small and slender plants from Crete have been recognized as subsp. humile
(Holmboe) Greuter, Matthas & Risse. 1)
1) "Atlas of the Aegean Flora" Book1, Arne Strid 2016.
Flowering time:- April to early June.
Photos by;- Steve Lenton
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PISUM SATIVUM subsp. SATIVUM
Synonyms:- None
Resembling Sativum subsp. biflorum, but differering in the following characters
1) Racemes, shorter.
2) Flowers, larger and paler (often whitish).
3) Seeds, smooth or wrinkled (not papillose).
Habitat:- See Sativum subsp. biflorum.
Distribution:- See Sativum subsp. biflorum.
Flowering time:- See Sativum subsp. biflorum.
Photos by;- Steve Lenton
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PISUM FULVUM
Synonyms None
Meaning:- fulvum (L) Tawny, reddish-yellow, fulvus.
Resembling Sativum subsp. biflorum, but differering in the following characters
Leaves:-
1) Leaflets, 1- or 2 pairs, somewhat smaller than stipules, broadly elliptical, dentate
or subentire; tendril slender, branched.
2) Stipules, amplexicaul, ovate, dentate at least in the lower half.
Flowers:-
1) Peduncle, shorter than leaves, 1(-2)-flowered.
2) Corolla, 15-17 mm, uniformly dull orange with somewhat paler keel.
Fruits:-
1) Legume, c. 40 x 10 mm, oblong.
2) Seeds, slightly papillose
Habitat:- Dry open shrubby vegetation, hedges, roadsides, 0-400m.
Distribution:- Only recently reported in Greece, first from the island group of
Kastellorizo; one additional locality from the ~ Mani Peninsula, just W of the
mapping area. - Also in S Anatolia, Syria and Palestine. Rare on Crete known from
only one location,
Flowering time:- March-Apri|.
