Lathyrus biflorus

Two-flowered pea

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Two-flowered pea is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the northern Coast Ranges in Red Mountain, Humboldt County on serpentine habitats at elevations around 1,300 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces green-white flowers with dark stripes, approximately 8 to 10 millimeters long. Growing with small wiry stems that are angled or flanged, this delicate perennial reaches a compact size with distinctive slender characteristics. Its leaves feature four small lance-oblong leaflets generally 5 to 10 millimeters long, accompanied by small stipules and a bristle-like unbranched tendril. The plant bears an unusual two-flowered inflorescence with a calyx tube longer than its lobes, creating a distinctive botanical profile.

Habitat: Serpentine

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: +- 1300 m.

Bioregions: NCoRH (Red Mtn, Humboldt Co.).

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