According to pod characteristics, it can be divided into hard-pod peas (pea varieties include small green pods (Alaska) and Hangzhou white peas) and soft-pod peas (peas are pods). Soft pod flower, lotus, big pod. The shape of pea seeds varies with varieties, mostly spherical, oval, oblate, concave and shriveled. Colors are yellow and white, green, red, rose, brown, black and so on. Pea can be divided into three varieties according to plant shape: soft-pod, solid-pod and dwarf pea, or soft-pod and hard-pod pea according to the existence and thickness of the inner skin of pod shell, or white and purple (red) peas according to color. Peas are divided into two categories according to their uses.

1. Pea: The flowers are purplish red or grayish blue, the stipules, axils, bean stalks and petioles are purplish red, and the seeds are dark gray or striped, so it is also called "Ma Pea". It is used as grain and starch and is often cultivated as a field crop.

2. Vegetable peas: flowers are often white, with no purplish red between stipules and axils, and seeds are white, yellow, green, pink or other light colors. There are two kinds of fruit pods: soft pods and hard pods. Soft pods are edible when tender, hard pods are tough, young seeds are edible, and tender pods are inedible. Varieties used as vegetables include "Xiaoqing Pod" and "Shanghai White Bean".