Lathyrus sulphureus
Encyclopedia
Lathyrus sulphureus is a species of wild pea
known by the common names snub pea and sulphur pea. It is native to the mountains of northern California
and Oregon
, where it grows in forest and woodland. This is a hairless perennial herb with leaves made up of many oval-shaped leaflets each up to 4 centimeters long. The leaves are tipped with branching, coiled tendril
s and the large stipule
s may be over 2 centimeters long. The plant produces a dense inflorescence
of up to 15 pea flowers which are often arranged in a line down one side of the stem. The flowers are light yellow to deep orange and darken as they age. They are wide and have deeply folded faces. The fruit is a hairless dehiscent
legume pod.
Lathyrus
Lathyrus is a genus of flowering plant species known as sweet peas and vetchlings. Lathyrus is in the legume family Fabaceae and contains approximately 160 species. They are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species in North America, 78 in Asia, 24 in...
known by the common names snub pea and sulphur pea. It is native to the mountains of northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, where it grows in forest and woodland. This is a hairless perennial herb with leaves made up of many oval-shaped leaflets each up to 4 centimeters long. The leaves are tipped with branching, coiled tendril
Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
s and the large stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s may be over 2 centimeters long. The plant produces a dense inflorescence
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. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
of up to 15 pea flowers which are often arranged in a line down one side of the stem. The flowers are light yellow to deep orange and darken as they age. They are wide and have deeply folded faces. The fruit is a hairless dehiscent
Dehiscence (botany)
Dehiscence is the opening, at maturity, in a pre-defined way, of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that open in this way are said to be dehiscent...
legume pod.