Practical
Plants

Pisum sativum macrocarpon

Sugar Pea

an annual member of the Pisum genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Pisum
Life cycle
annual
Height
2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Self. Occasionally bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Self. Occasionally bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Immature seedpods - raw or cooked[17][22][18][19][25]. Best harvested when the seeds are under-developed, the young swollen and succulent seedpods have a delicious sweet flavour that is just like a juicier form of garden peas[K]. Immature seeds - raw or cooked. Sweet and delicious, they can be added to salads, or lightly cooked[K]. A nutritional analysis is available[24]. The mature seeds are rich in protein and can be cooked as a vegetable or added to soups etc[21]. They can also be sprouted and added to salads, soups etc[21]. The mature seed can also be dried and ground into a powder, then used to enrich the protein content of flour when making bread etc[K]. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[21]. Leaves and young shoots - cooked and used as a potherb[20][21]. The young shoots taste like fresh peas, they are exceptionally tender and can be used in salads[23]. There are no edible uses listed for Pisum sativum macrocarpon.

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed is contraceptive, fungistatic and spermacidal[12]. The dried and powdered seed has been used as a poultice on the skin where it has an appreciable affect on many types of skin complaint including acne[16]. The oil from the seed, given once a month to women, has shown promise of preventing pregnancy by interfering with the working of progesterone[12]. The oil inhibits endometrial development[13]. In trials, the oil reduced pregnancy rate in women by 60% in a 2 year period and 50% reduction in male sperm count was achieved[13].

Ecology and functions

Nitrogen fixer

Environment

Range
E. Asia.
Habitat
Plants are not known in a genuinely wild condition[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in situ in succession from early spring until early summer. A minimum temperature of 10°c is required for germination, which should take place in about 7 - 10 days. If you want to grow the peas to maturity then the seed needs to be sown by the middle of spring. You may need to protect the seed from the ravages of mice.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil[1][3][14]. Prefers a calcareous soil[14]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7.5[9]. Prefers a rich loamy soil[1]. A light soil and a sheltered position is best for early sowings[1]. The sugar pea has a swollen, fibre-free and very sweet seedpod which is eaten whole when immature. There are several named varieties. This form is harder to grow for its mature seed, especially in damp climates, because the pod no longer has a cellulose membrane to protect the seed from damp and so the seed has a greater tendency to rot in wet weather. Peas are good growing companions for radishes, carrots, cucumbers, sweet corn, beans and turnips[5][8][10]. They are inhibited by alliums, gladiolus, fennel and strawberries growing nearby[5][8][10]. There is some evidence that if Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea) is grown as a green manure before sowing peas this will reduce the incidence of soil-borne root rots[11]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[9]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

  3. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0

    ↩

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

  5. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

  7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

  8. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2

  11. Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4

    ↩

  12. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  13. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  14. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  15. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

  16. Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5

    ↩

  17. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

    ↩

  18. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn ISBN 0-600-33545-3 (1975-00-00)

    ↩

  19. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 (1977-00-00)

    ↩

  20. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)

    ↩

  21. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  22. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)

    ↩

  23. Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray ISBN 0-7195-4781-4 (1991-00-00)

    ↩

  24. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-917256-20-4 (1985-00-00)

    ↩

  25. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)

    ↩

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