Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Lathyrus jepsonii

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Fabaceae

Genus
  
Lathyrus

Higher classification
  
Lathyrus

Order
  
Fabales

Subfamily
  
Faboideae

Scientific name
  
Lathyrus jepsonii

Rank
  
Species

Similar
  
Lathyrus, Lathyrus polyphyllus, Lathyrus littoralis, Lathyrus lanszwertii, Lathyrus splendens

Lathyrus jepsonii is a species of wild pea known by the common names delta tule pea and Jepson's pea. It is endemic to California, where it grows in a number of habitat types, including forest and estuary.

This is a perennial herb with a long, winged stem which climbs by means of branched, coiled tendrils. The leaves are made up of several pairs of lance-shaped leaflets. The plant bears an inflorescence of up to 15 pink or purplish flowers each up to 2 centimeters wide. The fruit is a hairless, dehiscent legume pod.

There are two varieties of this species.

  • L. j. var. californicus is a smaller plant which is sometimes hairy,
  • L. j. var. jepsonii this rare variety can exceed two meters in height and is hairless, a rare variety which grows in the estuary habitat of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the origin of the common name delta tule pea.
  • References

    Lathyrus jepsonii Wikipedia