science

Lathyrus latifolius

Lathyrus latifolius is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lathyrus latifolius rather than just read about it. In short: Lathyrus latifolius, the perennial peavine, perennial pea, broad-leaved everlasting-pea, or just everlasting pea, is a robust, sprawling herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe but is present on other continents, such as North America and Australia, where it is most often seen along roadsides.

Key takeaways

Lathyrus latifolius belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lathyrus latifolius to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lathyrus latifolius from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lathyrus latifolius, the perennial peavine, perennial pea, broad-leaved everlasting-pea, or just everlasting pea, is a robust, sprawling herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to Europe but is present on other continents, such as North America and Australia, where it is most often seen along roadsides.

Morphology Lathyrus latifolius has winged hairless stems, and alternating blue green compound leaves consisting of a single pair of leaflets and a winged petiole about 2 inches (51 mm) long. The leaflets are narrowly ovate or oblong-ovate, smooth along the margins, hairless and up to 3 in (76 mm) long and 1 in (25 mm) across. There is a branched tendril 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 3⁄4–1 in (19–25 mm) across with a typical structure for Faboideae, 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 followed by hairless flattened seedpods, about 2 in (51 mm) long and 1⁄2 in (13 mm) wide, with several seeds inside. The seedpod, which is initially green, gradually turns brown, splitting open into curled segments, flinging out the seeds. The seeds are dark and oblong to reniform in shape.

Reproduction Lathyrus latifolius can reproduce vegetatively from its taproot and rhizomes, or from seed.

Cultivation and habits Lathyrus latifolius is a perennial herbaceous vine (climber), which can reach 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 loam or clay-loam soil that is moist, mesic, or slightly dry. Unlike the related annual sweet pea, Lathyrus odoratus, with which it may be confused, it has no scent. 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. Numerous cultivars have been selected as garden subjects, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

L. latifolius (pink) 'Albus' (white) 'Rosa Perle' (pale pink) 'White Pearl' (white)

Relations to insect life Bumblebees pollinate the flowers and butterflies will visit the flowers for their nectar. Epicauta fabricii (Fabricius blister beetle), the caterpillars of Apantesis phyllira (Oithona tiger moth) and some herbivores feed on the leaves. However, the seeds are poisonous.

References

External links Media related to Lathyrus latifolius at Wikimedia Commons Jepson Manual Treatment USDA Plants Profile "Lathyrus latifolius". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Photo gallery

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lathyrus latifolius

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lathyrus latifolius claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lathyrus latifolius before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lathyrus latifolius ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lathyrus latifolius

In research: Lathyrus latifolius appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lathyrus latifolius in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lathyrus latifolius is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus, Flora of Europe, Flora of Serbia, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lathyrus latifolius outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lathyrus latifolius in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lathyrus latifolius means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lathyrus latifolius out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lathyrus latifolius in simple terms?

Why does Lathyrus latifolius matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lathyrus latifolius?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lathyrus latifolius.