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purple peavine, Sierra Nevada pea, Sierra Nevada sweet pea, Sierra pea, Sierra peavine

bushy pea, Modoc pea, rigid pea, stiff pea, stiff peavine

Habit Herbs perennial, from rhizome, pubescent except glabrous on legumes and leaflets adaxially. Herbs perennial, from rootstock, glabrous.
Stems

angled, erect, sprawling, or climbing, basally branched 0–several times, 1–6 dm.

angled, erect, basally branched 5–10 times, 1–3 dm.

Leaves

2–10 cm;

tendrils mucronate (less than 1 cm) to well developed;

stipules linear, 5–25 × 1–8 mm, much smaller than leaflets;

leaflets 4–12, usually scattered, blades broadly ovate to lanceolate or linear, (17–)20–110 × 2–30(–37) mm, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely finely pubescent.

1–3 cm;

tendrils bristlelike, less than 1 cm;

stipules lanceolate, 10–15 × 1–8 mm, equal to distal leaflets;

leaflets 4–8, paired, blades lanceolate, 15–30 × 5–10 mm, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

2–10-flowered, 3–15 cm.

2- or 3-flowered, 4–9 cm.

Flowers

12–22 mm;

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

corolla blue-purple to pink-purple or white, banner erect, blade longer than claw, wings equal to keel;

ovary glabrous.

12–18 mm;

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

corolla white to lilac, banner erect, blade longer than claw, wings longer than keel;

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

20–30(–45) × 5–10 mm.

20–40 × 5–10 mm, stipitate.

2n

= 14.

Lathyrus nevadensis

Lathyrus rigidus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Basalt scablands with sagebrush.
Elevation 800–1700 m. (2600–5600 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
w North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Corollas blue-purple to pink-purple; British Columbia, California, w Oregon, w, c Washington.
var. nevadensis
1. Corollas white; ne Oregon, e Washington, adja­cent Idaho.
→ 2
2. Leaves 4–10 cm; leaflets 6–10; tendrils well developed; flowers 5–10, 12–18 mm.
var. parkeri
2. Leaves 2–5 cm; leaflets 4 or 6; tendrils reduced to bristles, (usually less than 1 cm); flowers 2–4, 18–22 mm.
var. cusickii
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. littoralis, 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. palustris, L. pauciflorus, L. polyphyllus, L. pratensis, L. pusillus, L. sphaericus, L. splendens, L. sulphureus, L. sylvestris, L. tingitanus, L. torreyi, L. tracyi, L. tuberosus, L. venosus, L. vestitus
Subordinate taxa
L. nevadensis var. cusickii, L. nevadensis var. nevadensis, L. nevadensis var. parkeri
Synonyms L. albus
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 133. (1876) T. G. White: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 21: 455. (1894)
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