Taxon Report

Lathyrus japonicus Willd.

seaside pea

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©2021 Scot Loring

Taxon Summary

Lathyrus japonicus, commonly known as seaside pea, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Fabaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Coastal dunes, growing at elevations from 1 to 30 meters. Lathyrus japonicus is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.


  Classification

Scientific Name:
Lathyrus japonicus Willd.
Common Name:
seaside pea
Family: Fabaceae
Element Code: PDFAB250C0
USDA Plants Symbol: LAJA
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: May-Aug May-Aug
Elevation: 1-30 (5-100)
General Habitats: Coastal dunes
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank: 2B.1
Global Rank: G5
State Rank:
S2
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status: IUCN_LC
CRPR Changes:
  • changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Total Occurrences: 24
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 1
   Good (B) 5
   Fair (C) 4
   Poor (D) 3
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 11
California Endemic:  False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Humboldt (HUM)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Arcata North (4012481), Arcata South (4012471), Crannell (4112411), Crescent City (4112472), Eureka (4012472), Fern Canyon (4112441), Orick (4112431), Rodgers Peak (4112421), Sister Rocks (4112462), Smith River (4112482)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 9
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
13 54 %
Foot traffic/trampling 8 33%
Non-native plant impacts 6 25%
ORV activity 5 20%
Other 5 20%
Recreational use (non-ORV) 5 20%
Erosion/runoff 5 20%
Road/trail construction/maint. 2 8%
Vandalism/dumping/litter 1 4%
Development 1 4%

Notes

Threatened by non-native plants and vehicles, and possibly threatened by trail maintenance and foot traffic.
Threats:
Taxonomy:
Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 January 2025].