Day 204: Well, pea! "One of Those Days" seems to be continuing, so why don't we just have a pea before my head explodes? Of the seventeen Lathyrus species found in Washington, six are introduced and problematic, but dainty Lathyrus polyphyllus (Leafy Peavine) is native. It occurs largely in the western lowlands, and is characterized by a subopposite or alternate leaf structure with 10-16 leaflets. Certainly, its invasive cousins overshadow it, cropping up in mounds along roadsides and, although it's not particularly uncommon, it is often passed over as a vetch (Vicia) because of the shape of the flowers and leaf arrangement. Finding a few examples in bloom along the lower Hugo Peak trail was a treat for me because it was a species I had not yet photographed for the WTU Herbarium. This addition brings my total contribution to 239 photos covering 132 taxa. Science, people! To quote a Life Is Good t-shirt, "Science is like magic, but real."
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