An annual herbaceous bare plant of the legume family. The stem is four-sided, hollow, spreading or climbing, 50-100 cm long. Leaves with 2-3 pairs of lateral leaflets, ending in branched tendrils; leaves are ovate, entire. Flowers bisexual, irregular; the corolla is white, rarely the wings are pink. The fruit is a bean. Blooms in June – July.
Spread. Comes from southern Europe. It is widely grown as a leguminous plant.
Raw. Herbs collected during the flowering of the plant and seeds are used. The plant is unofficial.
Chemical composition . Pea seeds contain 26-27% easily digestible protein, rich in essential amino acids (cystine, lysine, tryptophan, tyrosine, methionine and others), starch (approx. 50%), fats (0.6-1.5%), vitamins A, B 1 , B 2 , E, PP and C, carotene, inositol, choline and salts of potassium, phosphorus and manganese.
Pharmacological properties and use . The plant has diuretic and hypoglycemic properties and is used for kidney stone disease and diabetes. Green peas are useful for patients with anemia. Masks are prepared from green peas crushed into flour to improve the skin of the face. Poultices of pea flour are applied to abscesses and boils. Soups and porridges are prepared from dry seeds; green peas are used fresh, canned, frozen. It is contraindicated to use peas for gout, acute nephritis, exacerbation of inflammatory processes of the stomach and intestines, chronic insufficiency of blood circulation.