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    Home»Herbs and Spices»Facts about Marsh Pea
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts about Marsh Pea

    By SylviaJuly 2, 2019Updated:July 2, 2019No Comments4 Mins Read
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    Known scientifically as Lathyrus palustris , Marsh Pea is a perennial plant that also has a number of other common names including Slenderstem Peavine, Marsh pea, Marsh Vetchling, Wing-stemmed, Wild Pea-vine, Blue marsh vetchling and Wild pea. The plant is native to Europe, parts of Asia, and North America. It is present throughout North America except Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Hawaii.  It also exists in parts of Canada that border the USA.  Lathyrus comes from the Greek word lathyros, which means a legume. Palustris comes from the Latin word, which means marshy or swampy.

    Plant Description

    Marsh Pea is a perennial plant that grows about 25 to 80 cm (10 to 31 in) tall. The plant is found growing in rich ground, damp meadows, on river banks, on the margins of ponds, by lakes and near the sea, and sometimes in coastal hedgerows, low prairies, stream valleys, lakeshores,  wet prairies, interdunal swales, borders of marshes, fens, sedge meadows, low areas along streams, soggy thickets, conifer swamps, ditches and swales and borders of forests. This wildflower occurs in both sandy and non-sandy habitats. The roots are taproot and there are rhizomes that can fix nitrogen. The plant climbs with branched tendrils that can be found at the terminating end of leaves, in place of a terminal leaflet.  The tendrils usually have between two and five branches.

    Leaves and stem

    Leaves are compound in 2 to 4 pairs; attachment is alternate with the leaflets attached oppositely. Each leaflet is generally elliptical, up to 2½ inches long and ½ inch wide, though they can range from short and wide to long and narrow, tapering to a point at both ends. There is a tendril at the end of the leaf stem that entwines around other plants.

    The pair of leafy appendages (stipules) attached to the stem at the leaf joint are small and narrow, pointed at both ends with the upper portion nearly twice as long as the lower, in outline shaped like half of an arrowhead. Stems are usually, but not always, “winged”, making it look and feel ribbon-like. Stems and leaves may be hairless or hairy to varying degrees, and often tangles itself in the surrounding vegetation.

    Flower

    Individual racemes of 2-8 flowers develop from the axils of compound leaves. The peduncles of these racemes are about as long as, or a little shorter than, the length of the compound leaves. Each flower is about ½-¾ inches long, consisting of 5 petals with a pea-like floral structure, a tubular calyx with 5 teeth, several stamens, and a pistil with a single style. The petals consist of an upright banner and a pair of projecting wings that enclose the keel. These petals are mostly reddish purple; although the petals forming the keel and the base of the remaining petals are paler. The banner has a network of purple veins. The calyx is reddish purple and mostly glabrous, although its teeth may be slightly ciliate along their margins. The blooming period occurs from July to August, lasting about 1 month.

    Marsh Pea Image Gallery
    Closer-view-of-Marsh-Pea-Flower Closer-view-of-Marsh-Pea-Flower
    Flower-of-Marsh-Pea-plant Flower-of-Marsh-Pea-plant
    Immature-fruits-of-Marsh-Pea-plant Immature-fruits-of-Marsh-Pea-plant
    Leaves-of-Marsh-Pea-plant Leaves-of-Marsh-Pea-plant
    Marsh-Pea-Plant Marsh-Pea-Plant
    Marsh-Pea-plant-farming Marsh-Pea-plant-farming
    Pair-of-stipules-at-the-leaf-base-of-Marsh-Pea Pair-of-stipules-at-the-leaf-base-of-Marsh-Pea
    Plant-Illustration-of-Marsh-Pea Plant-Illustration-of-Marsh-Pea
    Seeds-of-Marsh-Pea-plant Seeds-of-Marsh-Pea-plant
    Sketch-of-Marsh-Pea Sketch-of-Marsh-Pea
    Small-Marsh-Pea-plant Small-Marsh-Pea-plant
    Stem-of-Marsh-Pea-plant Stem-of-Marsh-Pea-plant
    Fruits

    Later, the fertile flowers are replaced by flat brown dehiscent legume pod that has short red glandular hairs or is glabrous.  It is 4-6 cm long and 4-5 mm wide. They are initially green turning to dark brown at maturity.  Each seedpod splits open into two valves to release its seeds. The small brown seed is 3-3.5 mm long and is globoid in shape and somewhat flattened.

    Culinary uses of Marsh Pea

    • Seed can be consumed after cooking.
    • The fully grown seeds are shelled and cooked as a vegetable.
    • Young leaves and stems can be consumed after being cooked.
    • Peas of the plant are used as food by both the Chippewa and Ojibwa.

    Other Facts

    • The Ojibwa Indians feed the leaves of the plant to ponies to increase their body fat.
    • The Meskwaki Indians use the root as a lure to trap beavers and other animals.

    Precautions

    • Although no records of toxicity have been found for this plant, the seed of some species in this genus contain a toxic amino acid that can cause a severe disease of the nervous system known as ‘lathyrism’ if they are eaten in large amounts.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=25866#null

    https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/82480/

    https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Lathyrus+palustris

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/ild-8879

    https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=LAPA4

    https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/115156

    https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=21600

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/LTHPA

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lathyrus_palustris

    http://climbers.lsa.umich.edu/?p=288

    https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/marsh_pea.html

    https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/marsh-vetchling

    http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/related/Lathyrus_palustris/index.html

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    March Pea Facts

    Name Marsh Pea
    Scientific Name Lathyrus palustris
    Native Europe, parts of Asia, and North America. It is present throughout North America except Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Hawaii.  It also exists in parts of Canada that border the USA
    Common Names Slenderstem Peavine, Marsh pea, Marsh Vetchling, Wing-stemmed, Wild Pea-vine, Blue marsh vetchling, Wild pea
    Name in Other Languages Albanian: Vingjra e moçaleve, vingjër   
    Bulgarian: Blatno sekirče (блатно секирче)
    Chinese:  Zhao sheng xiang wan dou, Shan li dou, ōu shān lí dòu, (欧山黧豆)
    Croatian: Močvarna kukavičica  
    Czech: Hrachor bahenní
    Danish: Kærfladbælg
    Dutch: Moeraslathyrus
    English: Marsh pea, Marsh pea-vine, Marsh vetchling, Blue marsh vetchling, Wild pea
    Estonian: Soo-seahernes
    Finnish: Rantanätkelmä, Suonätkelmä
    French: Gesse des marais, Gesse palustre
    German: Sumpf-Platterbse, Sumpfwicke
    Hungarian: Mocsári lednek
    Icelandic: Mýraertur     
    Italian: Veccia delle paludi, Cicerchia palustre
    Latvian: Purva dedestiņa             
    Lithuanian: Pelkinis pelėžirnis   
    Norwegian Bokmål: Myrflatbelg, Myrskolm
    Persian: خلر باتلاقی
    Polish: Groszek błotny
    Russian: China Bolotnaya, чина болотная
    Serbian: модри граор       
    Slovak: Hrachor močiarny
    Swedish: Kärrvial, Rantanätkelmä, Sumpvial
    Turkish: Dere şokılı
    Ukrainian: Horoshok bolotyanyy (Горошок болотяний), chyna bolotna (чина болотна)    
    Welsh: Ytbysen y gors
    Plant Growth Habit Perennial plant
    Growing Climates Rich ground, damp meadows, on river banks, on the margins of ponds, by lakes and near the sea, and sometimes in coastal hedgerows, low prairies, stream valleys, lakeshores  
    Plant Size 25 to 80 cm (10 to 31 in) tall
    Root Fibrous and rhizomatous
    Stem Often winged and can be glabrous or sparsely puberulent.  They are 1.3-3mm in diameter
    Stipules Small, semi-sagittate, 4-15 mm in length, 1-4 mm in width
    Leaf Leaves are alternate and pinnate, each ending in a branched tendril.  There are usually 4-10 leaflets, each of which is linear to ovate. They are usually 3-8.5cm long, 0.7-2.3cm wide, and can be glabrous or sparsely pubescent
    Flowering season July to August
    Flower Inflorescence is a long stalked raceme, including 2-8 flowers; the full inflorescence length is about the same length as the subtending leaf. The pedicels are 2-5mm in length, and the petals are purple to violet.  Each flower is perfect, has five sepals and five petals, and is 1.5-2.5cm long
    Fruit Shape & Size Flat brown dehiscent legume pod that has short red glandular hairs or is glabrous.  It is 4-6 cm long and 4-5 mm wide.  Each fruit has about 3-6 seeds
    Fruit Color Green initially turning dark brown at maturity
    Seed Small brown seed is 3-3.5mm long and is globoid in shape and somewhat flattened

    Marsh Pea Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Lathyrus palustris

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Subdivision Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
    Subclass Rosidae
    Superorder Rosanae
    Order Fabales
    Family Fabaceae ⁄ Leguminosae (Pea family)
    Genus Lathyrus L. (pea)
    Species Lathyrus palustris L. (marsh pea)
    Synonyms
    • Lathyrus incurvus Rchb.
    • Lathyrus macranthus (T.G.White) Rydb.
    • Lathyrus miyabei Matsum.
    • Lathyrus myrtifolius Willd.
    • Lathyrus myrtifolius var. macranthus T.G.White
    • Lathyrus occidentalis Torr. & A.Gray
    • Lathyrus paluster L.
    • Lathyrus palustris f. linearifolius (Ser.) Bassler
    • Lathyrus palustris subsp. pilosus (Cham.) Hultén
    • Lathyrus palustris var. linearifolius Ser.
    • Lathyrus palustris var. macranthus (T.G.White) Fernald
    • Lathyrus palustris var. meridionalis Butters & H.St.John
    • Lathyrus palustris var. myrtifolius (Willd.) A.Gray
    • Lathyrus palustris var. palustris
    • Lathyrus palustris var. pilosus (Cham.) Ledeb.
    • Lathyrus palustris var. retusus Fernald & St.John
    • Lathyrus pilosus Cham.
    • Lathyrus stipulaceus J.Le Conte, 1819
    • Lathyrus viciiformis Wallr., 1822
    • Orobus myrtifolius (Willd.) Hall
    • Orobus myrtifolius Alef
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