What Is the Scientific Name of Pea and Why Does It Matter?
The tiny spherical seed or seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum is known as the pea. The botanical name of pea plant is referred to as Pisum sativum Peas may be green or yellow, and each pod contains many peas. Peapods are called fruit by botanists since they contain seeds and grow from the ovary of a (pea) flower.
Pisum sativum is an annual plant that has a one-year life cycle. It's a cool-season crop that's grown all over the world; depending on where you live, you can plant it anywhere from winter to early summer. A pea weighs between 0.1 and 0.36 grams on average. Immature peas (and the tender pod in snow peas) are used as a vegetable, fresh, frozen, or canned; varieties of the species generally known as field peas are grown to produce dry peas shelled from a matured pod. These are the ingredients in pease porridge and pea soup, which were staples of medieval cuisine; in Europe, eating new immature green peas was an early modern culinary invention.
What is the Scientific Name of Pea Plant?
The scientific name of pea plant, biological name of pea is referred to as Pisum Sativum.
Description of Pea
A pea is a pod-shaped vegetable that is usually green but may also be golden yellow or purple. It is widely grown as a cool-season vegetable crop. The seeds can be planted as soon as the soil temperature exceeds 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit), with the plants growing best at temperatures of 13 to 18 degrees Celsius (55 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit). Around 60 days after planting, several cultivars attain maturity. Low-growing and vining cultivars of peas are available. Vining cultivars develop thin tendrils from their leaves that coil around any available support and can reach a height of 1–2 meters. Climbing peas are usually supported by thrusting upright branches pruned from trees or other woody plants into the soil, forming a lattice for the peas to ascend. The botanical name of the pea plant is referred to as Pisum sativum. Pea sticks or pea brushes are the terms for the branches used in this fashion. For the same reason, metal fences, twine, or netting supported by a frame are used. Peas owe each other some measure of mutual support in dense plantings. Self-pollination is possible in pea plants.
The Botanical Name of Sweet Peas
Sweet peas have been cultivated since the 17th century, and there is a wide range of cultivars available commercially. They are grown for the colour of their flowers (which are usually pastel shades of blue, pink, purple, and white) as well as their intense, distinct fragrance. Gardeners cultivate them for personal enjoyment or show, and florists use them in their work. In the spring or autumn, the big, pea-shaped seeds are sown in cold frames. Pre-soaking or chipping the seeds with a sharp blade is helpful. Later in the season, the plants are also available as young plants or plugs. They're grown-up canes with fresh shoots pinched out regularly to foster a bushy habit and higher flower yields. Sweet peas are inedible due to the poisonous seeds. Sweet peas, on the other hand, make lovely flowers for a garden. Except for yellow, the distinctive flowers bear blossoms in a variety of colours. Sweet pea plants come in several sizes, with some having long vines that climb up trellises and poles. Cut flowers are made from the flowers of wine-type sweet pea plants, and bush sweet pea plants have short stalks and do well in flower beds and containers. The botanical name of sweet pea is known as Lathyrus odoratus.
Uses of Peas
Domestic Use:
As a side dish vegetable, fresh peas are commonly boiled and flavoured with butter and/or spearmint. When serving peas, salt and pepper are often used. Fresh peas can also be used in casseroles, salads, and pot pies. Pod peas (also known as snow peas or snap peas) are commonly used in stir-fried dishes, particularly in American Chinese cuisine. Peapods do not hold well once picked, and if not used right away, they should be dried, canned, or frozen within a few hours of harvest.
Fresh peas are widely used in Indian dishes such as aloo matar (curried potatoes with peas) and matar paneer (paneer cheese with peas), though frozen peas may also be used. Peas may also be eaten raw because they are sweet when picked straight from the forest.
Northern Europe, portions of Middle Europe, Russia, Iran, Iraq, and India are among the countries that consume pea soup. It's known as ärtsoppa in Sweden, and it's a traditional Swedish dish. This food was made from a pea that grew rapidly and matured in a short period of time
Medical Use:
Some people are allergic to peas and lentils, with vicilin or convicilin being the most common allergens.
Jews, other Middle Eastern Semitic peoples, and other descendants of the Mediterranean coastal regions are affected by Favism, or Fava-bean-ism, a hereditary deficiency of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Hemolytic anaemia is the toxic reaction to consuming most, if not all, beans in this state, and the released circulating free haemoglobin cause acute kidney injury in extreme cases.
FAQs on Botanical Name of Pea: Complete Guide for Students
1. What is the botanical name for the common pea plant?
The botanical name for the common pea plant, also known as the garden pea, is Pisum sativum. This scientific name is used consistently by scientists and botanists worldwide to identify this specific plant.
2. Which family does the pea plant belong to?
The pea plant (Pisum sativum) belongs to the family Fabaceae. This is one of the largest plant families, commonly known as the legume or bean family, and includes other plants like beans, lentils, and chickpeas.
3. How is the botanical name Pisum sativum broken down into genus and species?
The name Pisum sativum follows the system of binomial nomenclature, which gives every species a two-part name. In this case:
- Pisum represents the genus name.
- sativum represents the specific epithet, which identifies the species within that genus.
4. What is the difference between a botanical name and a common name like 'pea'?
A botanical name like Pisum sativum is a unique, universal scientific name that ensures clarity among scientists globally. In contrast, a common name like 'pea' or 'matar' can change depending on the language or region and may sometimes refer to different plants, causing confusion.
5. Why is using a scientific name like Pisum sativum so important in biology?
Using a standardized scientific name is crucial because it provides a single, unambiguous reference for every species. This prevents confusion caused by local names and allows researchers, students, and agriculturalists from different parts of the world to communicate about the exact same organism with complete accuracy.
6. Why was the pea plant an ideal choice for Gregor Mendel's famous genetic experiments?
The pea plant was an excellent model organism for Mendel's research for several key reasons:
- It has a short life cycle, so many generations could be grown and studied quickly.
- It displays several easily identifiable, contrasting traits (e.g., tall vs. dwarf plants).
- Its flowers can be both self-pollinated and cross-pollinated, which gave Mendel control over his experiments.
- It produces a large number of offspring from a single cross, providing reliable data.
7. What are the seven key contrasting traits of the pea plant that Mendel studied?
Gregor Mendel focused on seven pairs of contrasting traits in pea plants to understand inheritance. These were:
- Seed shape (round or wrinkled)
- Seed colour (yellow or green)
- Flower colour (purple or white)
- Pod shape (inflated or constricted)
- Pod colour (green or yellow)
- Flower position (axial or terminal)
- Stem length (tall or dwarf)
8. Are there other important species in the Pisum genus besides the garden pea?
Yes, while Pisum sativum (the garden pea) is the most famous, the genus also includes other species and subspecies. For example, the field pea, often classified as Pisum sativum subsp. arvense, is an important agricultural crop used for animal fodder and as a cover crop to enrich soil.
