Pisum

Abstract

Pisum is a highly diverse genus that can be considered monospecific or a species complex with graded patterns of relationships. The subset of Pisum that is typically considered P. elatius encompasses most of the genetic diversity of the genus. The one major taxon with a degree of distinctness and homogeneity is P. fulvum, although genetic distances within P. elatius can be greater than distances between a P. elatius and a P. fulvum accession. The two cultivated types are P. sativum and P. abyssinicum, which appear to have been domesticated independently from distinct gene pools. P. sativum shows evidence of diverse connections with its wild ancestors, whereas the diversity of P. abyssinicum is narrow. There is a great abundance of diversity available in P. sativum alone, but this is markedly enhanced if P. abyssinicum or the wild taxa are included. The abundance of allelic and phenotypic diversity in Pisum suggests that there are great opportunities for discovering and incorporating useful genetic variation in cultivated pea.