Lathyrus biflorus
Encyclopedia
Lathyrus biflorus is a rare species of wild pea
known by the common name twoflower pea. It is endemic to Humboldt County, California
, where it is known only from the Mount Lassic Wilderness. It is a member of the serpentine soil
s flora. This is a petite perennial herb growing thin, tough, fuzzy stems with leaves each made up of two pairs of small linear leaflets. There are tiny bristlelike tendril
s. The inflorescence
bears two greenish-white pea flowers each up to a centimeter wide. The fruit is a hairless dehiscent
legume pod.
Lathyrus
Lathyrus is a genus of flowering plant species known as sweet peas and vetchlings. Lathyrus is in the legume family Fabaceae and contains approximately 160 species. They are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species in North America, 78 in Asia, 24 in...
known by the common name twoflower pea. It is endemic to Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, where it is known only from the Mount Lassic Wilderness. It is a member of the serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s flora. This is a petite perennial herb growing thin, tough, fuzzy stems with leaves each made up of two pairs of small linear leaflets. There are tiny bristlelike tendril
Tendril
In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that is used by climbing plants for support, attachment and cellular invasion by parasitic plants, generally by twining around suitable hosts. They do not have a lamina or blade, but they can photosynthesize...
s. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears two greenish-white pea flowers each up to a centimeter wide. The fruit is a hairless dehiscent
Dehiscence (botany)
Dehiscence is the opening, at maturity, in a pre-defined way, of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that open in this way are said to be dehiscent...
legume pod.