Kearney and Peebles 1969, Martin and Hutchins 1980
Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Vine General: Herbaceous perennial, stems erect or weakly climbing, stems commonly with tendrils at the tips, to 60 cm long. Leaves: Pinnate, 6-10 leaflets, with large stipules, leaflets 20-40 mm long, rarely more than 5 mm wide. Flowers: Purple or blue, less than 12-16 mm long, in axillary racemes, styles hairy along the inner edge. Fruits: Pods dehiscent, narrow, flat, two-valved, 4-6 cm long, glabrous. Ecology: Found in pine forests from 4,000-9,000 ft (1219-2743 m); flowering April-September. Notes: The leaflets of Lathyrus are generally larger, thicker, and more prominently veined than the similar-looking Vicia. This genus contains the sweet-pea. Ethnobotany: Tender plants eaten as green in the spring. Synonyms: Lathyrus palustris var. angustifolius, Linnaeus palustris var. graminifolius, Linnaeus palustris var. nudicaulis, Orobus dissitifolius Editor: LCrumbacher, 2011 Etymology: Lathyrus comes from the Greek lathyros, an old name for "pea", while graminifolius means with foliage like grass.