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beach pea, beach peavine, dune sweet pea, gray beach or silky beach pea, gray beach pea, grey beach peavine, silky beach pea, silky beach vetchling

gesse des marais, marsh pea, marsh peavine, marsh vetchling

Habit Herbs perennial, from rhizome, cinereous and densely villous throughout. Herbs perennial, from rhizome, glabrous or pubescent.
Stems

angled, sprawling, basally branched 0–4 times, 1–4 dm.

narrowly to broadly winged, sprawling or climbing, basally branched 0–4 times, 2–10 dm.

Leaves

1–3 cm;

tendrils flattened bristles;

stipules ovate to lanceolate, 10–27 × 5–12 mm, often larger than leaflets;

leaflets 4 or 6, paired, blades obovate to oblanceolate, 10–20 × 4–8 mm, surfaces densely villous.

1–6 cm;

tendrils well developed;

stipules ovate-lanceolate to linear, 5–25 × 1–10 mm, much smaller than leaflets;

leaflets 4–8, paired, blades lanceolate to linear, 15–75 × 2–20 mm, surfaces glabrous, glabrate, or pubescent.

Inflorescences

4–8-flowered, 3–10 cm.

2–7-flowered, 3–15 cm.

Flowers

13–15 mm;

calyx lobes equal, lateral lobes deltate, equal to or shorter than tube;

corolla dark purple, banner erect, blade longer than claw, wings longer than keel;

ovary densely pubescent.

10–15 mm;

calyx lobes unequal, lateral lobes deltate, shorter than tube;

corolla blue-purple, banner erect, blade equal to claw, wings equal to keel;

ovary glandular-pubescent.

Legumes

20–30 × 9–13 mm.

25–60 × 4–8 mm.

2n

= 28.

= 14.

Lathyrus littoralis

Lathyrus palustris

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Apr–Aug.
Habitat Coastal sand dunes, deflation plain interdune areas. Coastal and inland wetlands.
Elevation 0–15 m. (0–0 ft.) 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AL; AR; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; SPM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Morphological variation within Lathyrus palustris is extensive. Although the most distinctive forms (see synonyms) have been accorded formal nomenclatural recognition (M. L. Fernald 1911; C. L. Hitchcock 1952), intergradation among these mostly sympatric ecotypes is widespread (D. Isely 1998). In Nunavut, it is known only from Akimiski Island in James Bay.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Lathyrus Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Lathyrus
Sibling taxa
L. angulatus, L. aphaca, L. biflorus, L. brachycalyx, L. brownii, L. cicera, L. decaphyllus, L. delnorticus, L. eucosmus, L. glandulosus, L. graminifolius, L. grimesii, L. hirsutus, L. hitchcockianus, L. holochlorus, L. japonicus, L. jepsonii, L. laetivirens, L. lanszwertii, L. latifolius, L. nevadensis, L. nissolia, L. ochroleucus, L. odoratus, L. palustris, L. pauciflorus, L. polyphyllus, L. pratensis, L. pusillus, L. rigidus, L. sphaericus, L. splendens, L. sulphureus, L. sylvestris, L. tingitanus, L. torreyi, L. tracyi, L. tuberosus, L. venosus, L. vestitus
L. angulatus, L. aphaca, L. biflorus, L. brachycalyx, L. brownii, L. cicera, L. decaphyllus, L. delnorticus, L. eucosmus, L. glandulosus, L. graminifolius, L. grimesii, L. hirsutus, L. hitchcockianus, L. holochlorus, L. japonicus, L. jepsonii, L. laetivirens, L. lanszwertii, L. latifolius, L. littoralis, L. nevadensis, L. nissolia, L. ochroleucus, L. odoratus, L. pauciflorus, L. polyphyllus, L. pratensis, L. pusillus, L. rigidus, L. sphaericus, L. splendens, L. sulphureus, L. sylvestris, L. tingitanus, L. torreyi, L. tracyi, L. tuberosus, L. venosus, L. vestitus
Synonyms Astrophia littoralis L. myrtifolius, L. palustris var. linearifolius, L. palustris var. macranthus, L. palustris var. myrtifolius, L. palustris subsp. pilosus, L. palustris var. pilosus, L. palustris var. retusus
Name authority (Nuttall) Endlicher in W. G. Walpers: Repert. Bot. Syst. 1: 722. (1842) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 733. (1753)
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