Definition

1. Noun:
   • A European perennial plant (Lathyrus sylvestris) with mottled purple and pink flowers, sometimes grown for animal feed or as a soil-enhancing green manure.
   • An evergreen shrub (Platylobium formosum) native to Australia and Tasmania, characterized by nearly heart-shaped leaves, bright yellow pea-like flowers, and flat seed pods with wing-like edges.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Plant):
  • The field was planted with flat pea to improve the soil's nitrogen content.
  • We identified the yellow-flowered shrub as a flat pea during our hike in Tasmania.

Advanced Usage

• In Botanical Context: The term "flat pea" is used specifically to refer to these two distinct species within the legume family (Fabaceae), noted for their characteristic flat seed pods.
  • The flat pea is valued in permaculture for its dual role as an ornamental and a soil-builder.

Variants and Related Words

• Common Flat Pea: A frequent common name for .
• Narrow-leaved Flat Pea: Refers to , a related species.
• Lathyrus: The genus containing the European flat pea species.

Synonyms

• Everlasting Pea (for in some contexts).
• Native Pea (for Australian species in a general sense).

Related Phrases

• Flat-podded: Describing plants with flattened seed pods, a key feature of the flat pea.
  • The flat-podded legumes are easily recognizable in the bush.

Noun

1. European perennial with mottled flowers of purple and pink; sometimes cultivated for fodder or as green manure
2. evergreen shrub having almost heart-shaped foliage and bright yellow pea-like flowers followed by flat pods with flat wings; Australia and Tasmania