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

Brewer's sweet or snub or sulfur pea, Brewer's sweet pea, snub pea, sulfur pea, sulpher pea, sulphur pea

Habit Herbs perennial, from rhizome, glabrous or pubescent. Herbs perennial, from rhizome, usually glabrous, rarely pubescent.
Stems

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

angled, climbing, basally branched 0–3 times, 5–15 dm.

Leaves

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.

9–12 cm;

tendrils well developed;

stipules lanceolate, 15–25 × 4–10 mm, sometimes equal to distal leaflets;

leaflets 6–12, scattered, blades ovate to lanceolate, 25–50 × 10–20 mm, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

Inflorescences

2–7-flowered, 3–15 cm.

9–15-flowered, 6–10 cm.

Flowers

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.

11–13 mm;

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

corolla orange to yellow-cream, banner erect, blade shorter than claw, wings equal to keel;

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

25–60 × 4–8 mm.

40–70 × 4–6 mm.

2n

= 14.

Lathyrus palustris

Lathyrus sulphureus

Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug.
Habitat Coastal and inland wetlands.
Elevation 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.)
Distribution
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]
from USDA
w United States
[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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Herbs glabrous.
var. sulphureus
1. Herbs densely villous.
var. argillaceus
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. 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
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. rigidus, L. sphaericus, L. splendens, L. sylvestris, L. tingitanus, L. torreyi, L. tracyi, L. tuberosus, L. venosus, L. vestitus
Subordinate taxa
L. sulphureus var. argillaceus, L. sulphureus var. sulphureus
Synonyms 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 Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 733. (1753) W. H. Brewer ex A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 399. (1868)
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