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Flat Pea

Flat Pea

Lathyrus sylvestris

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How common: Common

Flat Pea is a perennial scrambling pea plant native to much of Europe. It often forms patches and climbs through surrounding plants using tendrils. In summer it shows clusters of rosy to pink-red pea flowers, followed by flat brown pods.

Did you know?

  • Its stems have thin wing-like edges.
  • It climbs by curling tendrils that hook onto nearby plants.

About the species

Identification

Slender perennial that sprawls or climbs, stems 80–180 cm with narrow, flat wings along them. Leaves usually have a single pair of long, narrow leaflets (5–15 cm) ending in a slender curling tendril (gripping thread). Flower clusters of 3–10 arise on long stalks from the leaf joints; each pea-shaped flower about 1.3–2 cm and rosy to pink-red. Pods are flat, 4–7 cm, turning brown when ripe. Resembles garden sweet pea but has narrower leaves and winged stems; unlike meadow vetchling, the flowers are not yellow. Flowers in Finland in July–August.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

heath forest

Flowering

Jul–Aug

About the habitat

Grows on rich woodland slopes, shrub edges, sunny road cuttings and embankments, and in gravel pits. Favors well‑drained, nutrient‑rich ground and often warm, open slopes. Mainly in southern Finland.

Sources

Photo: Aleksei Baushev, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6334870460

Text: Pinkka: Metsälajintuntemus - Koppisiemeniset, 2-sirkkaiset, Malvaceae - Onagraceae, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39005

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mets%C3%A4n%C3%A4tkelm%C3%A4

See also