Lathyrus Torreyi

Day 276: At the extreme upper end of its range, there exists a small patch of rare and endangered Torrey's peavine (Lathyrus torreyi). When my botany partners and I first observed it in 2020, it covered a plot roughly 12" x 20". During the peak pandemic years, I made only one trip to check on it, and found that by 2022, it had doubled in size. This year, our goal was first to find it in bloom, and second, to take voucher specimens for the Park and the WTU Herbarium, if and only if the population met specific requirements for number of plants. We were delighted to find that the patch had again doubled in size, and now covers an area which measures approximately 30 sq. ft. It was in bloom, so we obtained the requisite three specimens which went immediately into my plant press. With one success under our belts, our botany day had just begun.