Lathyrus nevadensis var. nevadensis
Sierra nevada pea
Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Sierra nevada pea is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Ranges, and northern and central Sierra Nevada in conifer and mixed forests at elevations of 450 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to blue-purple flowers 13 to 25 millimeters long with delicate, coiled tendrils. Growing with slender angled or flanged stems, it forms a graceful climbing habit with multiple leaflets. Its leaves have 4 to 8 generally opposite leaflets, each 1.5 to 4 centimeters long and typically elliptic or widely ovate in shape. The plant bears glabrous fruits that emerge after its distinctive blue-white blossoms have faded.
Habitat: Conifer, mixed forests
Bloom period: Apr-Jul
Elevation: 450-2300 m
Bioregions: KR, NCoR, CaR, n&c SN
California counties: Humboldt, Butte, Trinity, Placer, Tehama, Plumas, Lassen, Mendocino, Calaveras, Napa, Mariposa, Siskiyou, Shasta, Lake, Amador, El Dorado, Del Norte, Nevada, Tuolumne, Madera, Fresno, Mono
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.