Herbs annual, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Stems broadly winged, climbing, basally branched 1–3 times, 8–30 dm. Leaves 2–6 cm, rachises winged; tendrils well developed; stipules lanceolate, 10–25 × 2–6 mm, smaller than leaflets; leaflets 2, blades ovate or obovate, 15–50 × 10–40 mm, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pustulose-hirsute. Inflorescences 2–4-flowered, 10–20 cm. Flowers 20–25 mm; calyx lobes equal, lateral lobes linear-triangular to lanceolate, equal to tube; corolla white, pink, purple, violet, or blue, banner erect, blade much longer than claw, wings longer than keel; ovary densely pustulose-hirsute, style rotated 90° from ovary axis. Legumes 50–70 × 8–15 mm. 2n = 14.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat: Disturbed areas.
Elevation: 50–400 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; Man., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Ont., Que., Ariz., Calif., Conn., Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Mich., Ohio, Okla., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Europe, introduced also in Mexico (México), Asia (China, India), n, e Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Lathyrus odoratus is cultivated as an ornamental and is an occasional escape.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.