Lathyrus aphaca

Yellow pea

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Yellow pea is a naturalized annual found in northern Coast Ranges and southern Northern Coast Ranges in disturbed places, especially below 500 meters elevation. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces bright yellow flowers approximately 10 to 14 millimeters long. Growing with delicate angled stems that have distinctive leaf-like stipules in place of traditional leaflets, it develops coiled tendrils that support its climbing habit. Its unique stipules are large, measuring 1 to 5 centimeters long, and appear lanceolate to ovate with a hastate-sagittate base. The fruit develops as a glabrous pod 2 to 4 centimeters in length.

Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed places

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: especially < 500 m

Bioregions: n NCo, s NCoRI

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.