Herbs perennial, from rhizome, glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent. Stems angled to narrowly winged, sprawling or climbing, basally branched 0–4 times, 2–20 dm. Leaves 4–14 cm; tendrils well developed; stipules lanceolate to linear, 5–25 × 1–10 mm, much smaller than leaflets (more than 1/4 width of distal leaflets); leaflets 6–12, scattered, blades ovate to linear, 12–50 × 5–25 mm, surfaces glabrous or pubescent. Inflorescences 5–20-flowered, 5–25 cm. Flowers 12–25 mm; calyx lobes unequal, lateral lobes deltate, linear-triangular, or lanceolate and wider distal to base, shorter to longer than tube; corolla cream-white, rose, lavender, blue-purple, or deep wine red, banner erect or reflexed toward calyx tube, blade equal to or longer than claw, wings equal to keel; ovary glabrous or pubescent. Legumes 40–60 × 4–7 mm.

Distribution

w United States, nw Mexico.

Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Lathyrus vestitus var. alefeldii, Lathyrus vestitus var. ochropetalus, Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus

Key

1	Flowers 16–25 mm, corollas dark wine red, ban­ners reflexed against calyx tube.	Lathyrus vestitus var. alefeldii
1	Flowers 12–17 mm, corollas cream-white, rose, lavender, or blue-purple, banners erect.	> 2
2	Leaflet blades often sparsely to densely pubes­cent throughout, sometimes pubescent abax­ially, glabrous adaxially; flowers rose, lavender, or blue-purple; California, sw Oregon.	Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus
2	Leaflet blades glabrous; flowers cream-white; Puget Sound area to sw Oregon and nw California.	Lathyrus vestitus var. ochropetalus