The common name of Lathyrus odoratus, a climbing annual leguminous plant, indigenous to Sicily, cultivated in numerous varieties for its showy variously colored sweet-scented flowers; formerly called sweet-scented pea (see SWEET-SCENTED b).
1732. R. Furber, etc., Flower Gard. Displ., 57. Purple Sweet Pea. This is what we call the Sweet-scented Pea.… It brings its Blossoms of two Colours, one a reddish Purple, and the middle of a fine Blue.
1816. Keats, ‘I stood tip-toe upon a little hill,’ 57. Here are sweet peas, on tip-toe for a flight.
