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Pisum sativum

A pea, although treated as a vegetable in cooking, is botanically a fruit; the term is most commonly used to describe the small spherical seeds or the pods of the legume Pisum sativum. This was the original model organism used by Gregor Mendel in his early work on genetics.

The name is also used to describe other edible seeds from the Fabaceae like the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), the chickpea, the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and the seeds from several species of Lathyrus.

P. sativum is an annual plant. It is a cool season crop, planted in winter. The average pea weighs between 0.1 and 0.36 grams. The species is as a fresh vegetable, but is also grown to produce dry peas like the split pea. These varieties are typically called field peas.