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Sweet pea (''Lathyrus odoratus'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Lathyrus'' in the family Fabaceae (legumes), native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands.〔Euro+Med Plantbase()〕 It is an annual climbing plant, growing to a height of , where suitable support is available. The leaves are pinnate with two leaflets and a terminal tendril, which twines around supporting plants and structures, helping the sweet pea to climb. In the wild plant the flowers are purple, broad; they are larger and very variable in color in the many cultivars. The annual species, ''L. odoratus'', may be confused with the everlasting pea, ''L. latifolius'', a perennial.〔Brickell, C. (1996). ''Encyclopedia of Garden Plants.'' Royal Horticultural Society, London, ISBN 0-7513-0436-0.〕 ==Horticultural development== Scottish nurseryman Henry Eckford (1823–1905) cross-bred and developed the sweet pea, turning it from a rather insignificant if sweetly scented flower into a floral sensation of the late Victorian era. His initial success and recognition came while serving as head gardener for the Earl of Radnor, raising new cultivars of pelargoniums and dahlias. In 1870 he went to work for one Dr. Sankey of Sandywell near Gloucester. A member of the Royal Horticultural Society, he was awarded a First Class Certificate (the top award) in 1882 for introducing the sweet pea cultivar 'Bronze Prince', marking the start of association with the flower. In 1888 he set up his development and trial fields for sweet peas in Wem in Shropshire. By 1901, he had introduced a total of 115 of the 264 cultivars grown at the time.〔Graham Rice, ''The Sweet Pea Book'', Batsford 2002, p.9〕 Eckford was presented with the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour for his work. He died in 1906, but his work was continued for a time by his son John Eckford. More recently, the association between the sweet pea, the Eckfords and Wem has been highlighted again. In the late 1980s, the Sweet Pea Society of Wem started an annual show, and the town has again taken the flower to its heart. Many of the street signs now carry a sweet-pea motif, and an area of the town is known as Eckford Park. There is also a cultivar 'Dorothy Eckford', named after a family member. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「sweet pea」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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