Lathyrus delnorticus

Del norte pea, Del Norte Pea

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Del norte pea is a California native perennial ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in the northwestern Klamath Ranges in Del Norte and western Siskiyou counties along serpentine streambanks at elevations of 250 to 700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white flowers with lavender striations, fading to yellow-tan, on dense inflorescences with 8 to 10 blooms. Growing with slender stems that are distinctively flanged or narrowly winged, it reaches moderate heights with a delicate, climbing habit. Its leaves feature small, widely triangular stipules and 10 to 16 generally subopposite leaflets, each 3 to 5 centimeters long and elliptic or lanceolate in shape, with a branched, coiled tendril. The fruit develops glabrous and smooth, characteristic of this elegant pea species.

Habitat: Streambanks, on serpentine

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 250-700 m

Bioregions: nw KR (Del Norte, w Siskiyou cos.)

California counties: Del Norte, Santa Clara, Sutter, Siskiyou, Santa Barbara

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