Herbs perennial, from rhizome, glabrous or pubescent. Stems angled, erect, sprawling, or climbing, often branched mid stem 1–4 times, 2–6 dm. Leaves 2–6 cm; tendrils absent to well developed, 0–3 cm, usually not branched; stipules linear, 5–15 × 1–5 mm, much smaller than leaflets; leaflets 4–8, often paired, blades ovate, 15–30 × 5–20 mm, surfaces glabrous, or linear, 30–70 × 1–10 mm, surfaces glabrous or pubes­cent. Inflorescences 5–15-flowered, 2–7 cm. Flowers 7–13 mm; calyx lobes unequal, lateral lobes often linear-triangular, sometimes lanceolate, shorter than tube; corolla white, banner erect, blade equal to claw, wings equal to keel; ovary glabrous. Legumes 40–60 × 4–7 mm. 2n = 14.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat: Roadsides, open coniferous and mixed evergreen forests.
Elevation: 300–1300 m.

Distribution

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Calif.

Discussion

Although W. L. Jepson (1909–1943, vol. 2) treated Lathyrus tracyi of northwestern California as a variety of L. bolanderi S. Watson (= L. vestitus), D. Isely (1992, 1998) considered L. tracyi a variety of L. lanszwertii. Lathyrus tracyi includes both ovate- and linear-leaflet forms. Linear-leaflet populations certainly suggest a relationship to L. lanszwertii, but ovate-leaflet forms, the presence of mid stem branching, and differences in floral structures suggest that L. tracyi may be better allied to L. holochlorus found to the north in the Willamette Valley of western Oregon and southwestern Washington. Lathyrus tracyi has been reported from Jackson County, Oregon, but specimens could not be examined.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.