Lathyrus sulphureus

Brewer's pea

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 3

Brewer's pea is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, and Sierra Nevada in foothill woodland to fir forest at elevations of 600 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white-yellow to bronze-orange flowers 11 to 14 millimeters long with a distinctive banner that reflexes above the middle. Growing with slender angled or flanged stems, it features 6 to 12 alternate leaflets 1.5 to 4 centimeters long with a branched, coiled tendril. Its large stipules measure 1 to 2.5 centimeters wide, with leaflets ranging from elliptic to ovate in shape. The plant produces glabrous fruits that dry to a tan or dark color.

Habitat: Foothill woodland to fir forest

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: 600-2500 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoR, SN

California counties: El Dorado, Tuolumne, Tulare, Kern, Fresno, Amador, Placer, Butte, Madera, Yuba, Calaveras, Shasta, Plumas, Trinity, Nevada, Mariposa, Mendocino, Lassen, Del Norte, Napa, Sierra, Glenn, Lake, Tehama, Sutter, San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Sacramento, Riverside, Siskiyou, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo

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