Authors: C. Stace, R. van der Meijden (ed.) & I. de Kort (ed.)
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Scientific name:

Lathyrus japonicus

Vernacular name:

Pea, Sea


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Sea Pea

Scientific name: Lathyrus japonicus Willd.

Diagnostic features
Procumbent perennial to 90cm.
Stems not winged.
Leaflets 2-5(6) pairs, elliptic.
Tendrils simple or branched, sometimes absent.
Flowers 2-10(15), (12)15-25mm, purple becoming blue.

Chromosome number: 2n=14.

Habitat
Native; maritime shingle or rarely sand.

Distribution
Very local on coasts of British Isles from Southwest Ireland, Scilly and East Kent to Shetland, frequent in Southeast England, Guernsey.

This species is keyed out on Page 2876 in the Text Key.

Note
Formerly decreasing, perhaps no longer so.
Our plant is Lathyrus japonicus subsp. maritimus (L.) P.W. Ball.

Lathyrus japonicus (Pea, Sea)
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Pea, Sea
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