Phaseolus
TheĀ black-eyed pea,Ā black-eyed bean, orĀ goat pea, aĀ legume, is a subspecies of theĀ cowpea, grown around the world for its medium-sized, edibleĀ bean.
The common commercial variety is called theĀ California Blackeye; it is pale-colored with a prominent black spot. The American South has countless varieties, many of themĀ heilroom, that vary in size from the small lady peas to very large ones. The color of the eye may be black, brown, red, pink, or green. All the peas are green when freshly shelled and brown or buff when dried. A popular variation of the black-eyed pea is theĀ purple hull pea; it is usually green with a prominent purple or pink spot. The currently accepted botanical name for the black-eyed pea isĀ Vigna unguiculataĀ subsp.Ā unguiculata, although previously it was classified in theĀ genus Phaselous.Ā Ā Vigna unguiculataĀ subsp.Ā dekindtianaĀ is the wild relative andĀ Ā Vigna unguiculataĀ subsp.Ā sesquipedalisĀ is the relatedĀ asparagus bean. Other beans of somewhat similar appearance, such as theĀ frijol ojo de cabraĀ (goat's-eye bean) of northern Mexico, are sometimes incorrectly called black-eyed peas, and vice versa.