Lathyrus venosus Muhl. ex Willd.

Veiny Vetchling; Veiny Peavine; Forest Pea

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Veiny Vetchling is a native herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It occurs in the northern half of Alabama. Veiny Vetchling grows on rocky slopes, in pine woodlands, in prairie woodlands, on roadsides, and along streams. It is a perennial with a creeping rhizome. Stems are sprawling/climbing by way of tendrils. Stems are 3-4 feet in length, green in color, glabrous or finely pubescent, and not winged. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, once pinnate with 10-12 leaflets, and ending in a branched tendril. The leaflets are ovate-elliptic in outline, glabrous, with entire margins. Flowers are produced in 8-15 flowered curved racemes from the leaf axils. The flowers are papilionaceous. The standard petal varies in color from pink-purple to lavender or blue with darker veins. The wing petals and keel are pale lavender to almost white in color. The fruit is a glabrous legume. Veiny Vetchling is listed as an S1 species in Alabama (typically 5 or fewer occurrences making it especially vulnerable in the state) and globally as a G5 species (demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range). Veiny Vetchling is occasionally available from wildflower nurseries. It prefers a site with well-draining soils and full to partial sun.—A. Diamond

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Native FAC (NWPL) S1 (State Rank) G5 (Global Rank)

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