Lathyrus splendens
Encyclopedia
Lathyrus splendens is a species of wild pea
known by the common names pride of California and Campo pea. It is native to Baja California
and its range extends into San Diego County, California
, where it grows in the chaparral
. This is a climbing perennial pea vine with coiling tendril
s. Its leaves are each made up of 6 to 8 linear to oval-shaped leaflets a few centimeters long and wavy-margined stipule
s. The plant produces showy inflorescence
s of up to 6 bright to deep red flowers each about 3 centimeters 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 names pride of California and Campo pea. It is native to Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
and its range extends into San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
, where it grows in the chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
. This is a climbing perennial pea vine with coiling 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. Its leaves are each made up of 6 to 8 linear to oval-shaped leaflets a few centimeters long and wavy-margined stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s. The plant produces showy 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...
s of up to 6 bright to deep red flowers each about 3 centimeters 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.