Del Norte pea facts for kids

The Del Norte pea (scientific name: Lathyrus delnorticus) is a special kind of wild pea plant. It's not very common, which means you won't find it everywhere. This plant grows naturally in the Klamath Mountains, a mountain range found in southern Oregon and northern California.

What is the Del Norte Pea?

The Del Norte pea is a type of plant called a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that lives for more than two years, and its stems are soft, not woody like a tree. It doesn't have any fuzzy hairs on its stems or leaves, so it's described as "hairless."

Where Does it Grow?

This unique pea plant loves to grow in a specific type of soil called serpentine soil. Serpentine soils are special because they have a lot of certain minerals and not much of others. Only certain plants, like the Del Norte pea, can grow well in these conditions.

How Does it Look?

The Del Norte pea has a stem that can look "winged" or "flanged," meaning it has flat edges along its length. Its leaves are made up of several pairs of smaller leaves, called leaflets. These leaflets can be oval or shaped like a spear.

At the base of each leaf, there are wide, toothed parts called stipules. The plant also has special parts called tendrils. These are like tiny, coiling arms that help the plant climb and hold onto other plants or objects for support.

When it blooms, the Del Norte pea produces a cluster of up to 10 flowers. These flowers are white with pretty lavender veins, and each one can be about 1.5 centimeters wide. After the flowers, the plant grows a fruit which is a smooth, hairless legume pod. This pod opens up when it's ripe to release its seeds.