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bushy vetchling, veiny pea, veiny peavine

singletary vetchling, tiny pea

Habit Herbs perennial, from rhizome, glabrous or pubescent. Herbs annual, glabrate.
Stems

angled, sprawling or climbing, basally branched 0–3 times, 4–10 dm.

narrowly winged, sprawling or climbing, basally branched 0–4 times, 3–6 dm.

Leaves

6–18 cm;

tendrils well developed;

stipules lanceolate to linear, 10–20 × 2–10 mm, much smaller than distal leaflets (less than 1/4 width of distal leaflets);

leaflets 8–14, scattered, blades ovate to lanceolate, 25–70 × 10–35 mm, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.

1–3 cm;

tendrils well developed;

stipules linear, 10–20 × 2–5 mm, equal to smaller leaflets;

leaflets 2, blades linear, 15–60 × 2–8 mm, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

5–20-flowered, 6–20 cm.

terminal, 1- or 2-flowered, 2–4 cm.

Flowers

10–15 mm;

calyx lobes unequal, lateral lobes linear-triangular or lanceolate, shorter to longer than tube;

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

ovary glabrous or pubescent.

7–10 mm;

calyx lobes subequal, linear-triangular, usually longer than tube;

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

ovary glabrous.

Legumes

20–50 × 3–7 mm.

30–50 × 2–4 mm.

2n

= 14.

Lathyrus venosus

Lathyrus pusillus

Phenology Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Roadsides, pastures, prairies, open habitats.
Elevation 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; KS; LA; MO; MS; NC; OK; TX; VA; South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Lathyrus pusillus, the only North American member of section Notolathyrus, a section centered in South America, is also the only annual species of Lathyrus native to North America. It is native to the southeastern United States; it has been cultivated as a forage crop in Oregon and occasionally escapes, but it has not become naturalized there.

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

Key
1. Herbs sparsely to densely pubescent.
var. intonsus
1. Herbs glabrous.
→ 2
2. Calyces: lateral lobes linear-triangular, equal to or shorter than tubes.
var. venosus
2. Calyces: lateral lobes lanceolate, longer than tubes.
var. arkansanus
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. 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. 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. rigidus, L. sphaericus, L. splendens, L. sulphureus, L. sylvestris, L. tingitanus, L. torreyi, L. tracyi, L. tuberosus, L. venosus, L. vestitus
Subordinate taxa
L. venosus var. arkansanus, L. venosus var. intonsus, L. venosus var. venosus
Name authority Muhlenberg ex Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 3: 1092. (1802) Elliott: Sketch Bot. S. Carolina 2: 223. (1823)
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