''Lathyrus polyphyllus'' is a species of
wild pea known by the common name leafy pea. It is native to the western United States from
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
to northern
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, where it grows in forest and other habitat. This is a perennial herb with long leaves each made up of many pairs of oval-shaped leaflets a few centimeters long. The leaf also has
tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as ''Cuscuta''. There are many plants that have tendr ...
s which may be long, branched and coiled, or just a short bristle. The
stipule
In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...
s are large as well, often over a centimeter wide. The plant produces an
inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
of up to 12 pea flowers usually arranged in a line along one side of the stem. The flowers are up to 2 centimeters wide and are a variety of shades of purple. The fruit is a
dehiscent
Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...
legume pod containing peas.
External links
*
*
Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants ProfilePhoto gallery
polyphyllus
Flora of California
Flora of Oregon
Flora of Washington (state)
Flora of the Klamath Mountains
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
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