Lathyrus palustris L. - Marsh Vetchling


 

|  back  | forward |

Lathyrus palustris - (image 1 of 5)

 

Taxonomy

Family: Fabaceae

Habitat

 Moist, open areas of woods and meadows, swamps, fens, shores.

Associates

 

Distribution

Circumboreal. In the U.S. occurs from New England west to MN, and south GA to LA.

Morphology

Climbing, perennial herb, to 1 m high. Stems winged. Leaflets usually 3 to 4 pairs, stipules entire to serrate, lanceolate to lance-ovate, with a single, sharply acute lobe at the base. Flowers magenta-violet, fewer than 10 to a raceme; calyx smooth.

Notes

Flowers late May to September.

Wetland indicator: Facultative Wetland

There are several recognized varieties. The var. myrtifolius (Muhl.) A. Gray occurs around the Great Lakes and is glabrous throughout, with wingless stems and 4-6 short flowers per raceme.   

Bibliography

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY.

 

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

 

 


Home

 

 Michael Hough © 2009