The key difference between Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum is that Lathyrus odoratus is an ornamental garden plant which produces showy, highly fragrant flowers on winged stems while Pisum sativum is an annual herbaceous plant which produces an edible seedpod.
Family Fabaceae is a large family of flowering plants composed of about 766 genera and 19,500 species, growing in a wide range of climates and habitats. It is commonly known as pea family, legume family or bean family. Lathyrus and Pisum are two genera of this family. Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea) is a species of Lathyrus genus while Pisum sativum (garden pea) is a species of Pisum genus. Both are annual herbaceous plants. Moreover, they are dicotyledon plants.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Lathyrus odoratus
3. What is Pisum sativum
4. Similarities Between Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum
5. Side by Side Comparison – Lathyrus odoratus vs Pisum sativum in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Lathyrus odoratus?
Lathyrus odoratus is a fast-growing, annual, herbaceous plant native to southwest Italy and Sicily. It belongs to family Fabaceae. The common name of Lathyrus odoratus is sweet pea. Lathyrus odoratus grows in a wide range of habitats. Moreover, it is a climbing plant which grows to a height of 1–2 metres. Its leaf arrangement is pinnate, having two leaflets with a terminal tendril. Furthermore, it produces a flower which is very colourful and fragrant. Hence, this plant is widely introduced and cultivated as an ornamental plant. Flowers are hermaphroditic and pollinated by insects.
Figure 01: Lathyrus odoratus
Sweet pea produces a seedpod. However, unlike other edible peas, seeds of members of the genus Lathyrus are toxic, so Lathyrus odoratus seeds are mildly poisonous if ingested.
What is Pisum sativum?
Pisum sativum is a herbaceous annual plant in the family Fabaceae. This plant has erect or climbing stems. It is a flowering plant with a non-showy flower and an edible seedpod. Seedpod is very sweet and fibre-free, and it is eaten when immature. Dried peas are commonly used in soups.
Figure 02: Pisum sativum
Common names of Pisum sativum are garden pea and green pea. It is a popular vegetable. This plant is native to southern Europe and is a cool seasonal crop. It is now grown in many parts of the world for its edible seeds.
What are the Similarities Difference Between Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum?
- Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum belong to family Fabaceae.
- They are flowering plants.
- Both are annual herbaceous plants.
- Moreover, they are dicotyledonous plants.
- Both produce seedpods.
- They have tendrils.
- Both plants are susceptible to powdery mildew disease.
What is the Difference Between Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum?
Lathyrus odoratus is an annual herbaceous plant which produces a highly fragrant flower. On the other hand, Pisum sativum is a cool-season vegetable crop which produces an edible seedpod. So, this is the key difference between Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum. Lathyrus odoratus is commonly known as sweet pea, while Pisum sativum is commonly known as garden pea or green pea.
Besides, flowers of the sweet pea plant are often showy and fragrant and bloom in clusters. In contrast, flowers of garden pea are not showy. Moreover, sweet pea is native to Southwest Italy and Sicily while garden pea is native to Southern Europe.
Below infographic shows a more detailed comparison related to the difference between Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum.
Summary – Lathyrus odoratus vs Pisum sativum
Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea) and Pisum sativum (garden pea) are two plant species that belong to family Fabaceae. Lathyrus odoratus produces a seedpod which is not edible while Pisum sativum produces a seedpod which is edible. Sweet pea is native to southwest Italy and Sicily while garden pea is native to Southern Europe. Lathyrus odoratus has a highly fragrant showy flower while Pisum sativum flower is not showy. Thus, this summarizes the difference between Lathyrus odoratus and Pisum sativum.
Reference:
1. “Pea | Legume”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2020, Available here.
2. “Sweet Pea”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Sweet Pea-01” By Aftabbanoori – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Doperwt rijserwt peulen Pisum sativum” By Rasbak – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
I have unfortunately mixed up my sweet peas and edible pea seeds, and want to know how I can tell the difference once the pods form? I was told that the rib of the sweet pea is dark purple and the rib of the edible pea is light green to green. Is this true?
Otherwise, I should be looking at the stem of the plant to see if it is flat (sweet pea) or round (edible pea?)
A side by side comparison of both stems and pods in photographs would help – Everywhere I research I am only getting half the story!
Can you help?