Pea

Pea, herbaceous annual leguminous plant of the pulse family cultivated mainly for its edible seeds. Peas have white or purple flowers and a many-seeded fruit pod, or legume, which is high in protein. The garden pea (Pisum sativum) is native to Middle Asia and is now widely cultivated in North America, Europe, and Asia. The field pea (var. arvense) provides split peas. The sweet pea and chick-pea are of different genera.