Lathyrus nevadensis S. Watson
purple peavine (Sierra pea)
Fabaceae (Pea family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Bryan Kelly-McArthur     (Photo ID #84047)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Lathyrus nevadensis
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Lathyrus nevadensis var. nevadensis

Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; stems erect to trailing, 15-100 cm tall/long, angled but not winged, soft-hairy.
Leaves:
Alternate, pinnately compound with 4 to 10 mostly paired leaflets; leaflets narrowly egg-shaped to lance-elliptic, 2-12 cm long, 0.2-3 cm wide; tendrils usually well developed and branched, at least some grasping; stipules 2-lobed, lanceolate to linear, less than 1/2 as long as the leaflets.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a loose, stalked, axillary cluster of 2 to 7 pea-like flowers; corollas usually bluish-purple or reddish-purple, fading to tan, 13-27 mm long, the banner darker than the wings or keel, about as long as the wings and 1-3 mm longer than the keel, the banner-claw shorter than the blade; calyces 6-12 mm long, somewhat hairy, the lanceolate teeth about 1/2 as long as the tube.
Fruits:
Pods, 3-7 cm long, 4-9 mm wide, glabrous; seeds 4 to 12.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Lathyrus nevadensis

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
711 2 2500
Slope Gradient (%)
18 0 240

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

195 0 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
3 0 8
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
C
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
1355
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBS

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

BG(2), BWBS(13), CDF(89), CWH(73), ESSF(20), ICH(185), IDF(179), MS(14), PP(5), SBPS(27), SBS(724), SWB(2)

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry, open forests (deciduous, coniferous, and mixed), glades and meadows in the lowland and montane zones; common in C (between 52o and 56o N) and SW BC, locally frequent in SC and SE BC, absent on the Queen Charlotte Islands, N Vancouver Island and the adjacent coast; S to CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Lathyrus nevadensis var. nevadensis S. Watson [superfluous autonym]