Lathyrus jepsonii
Encyclopedia
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 tendril
s. 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.
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 delta tule pea and Jepson's pea. It is endemic to 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...
, where it grows in a number of habitat types, including forest and estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
.
This is a perennial herb with a long, winged stem which climbs by means of branched, 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. The leaves are made up of several pairs of lance-shaped leaflets. The plant bears an 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 pink or purplish flowers each up to 2 centimeters wide. 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.
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.