Lathyrus hitchcockianus

Bullfrog mountain pea, Bullfrog Mountain Pea

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Bullfrog mountain pea is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the northeastern Mojave Desert, specifically in the Grapevine Mountains of Inyo County, in desert washes and scrub at elevations of 1,500 meters. Flowering in June, this plant produces lilac to purple flowers approximately 8 to 12 millimeters long with delicate, open inflorescences. Growing with slender stems that are distinctively angled or flanged, the plant reaches a moderate height with a climbing habit. Its leaves feature 4 to 6 linear to lanceolate leaflets, each 1 to 1.4 centimeters long, supported by small stipules and equipped with a coiled tendril. The plant is notably glabrous or slightly puberulent, with a clean, sparse appearance characteristic of desert-adapted legumes.

Habitat: Washes, desert scrub

Bloom period: Jun

Elevation: 1500 m

Bioregions: ne DMoj (Grapevine Mtns, Inyo Co.)

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