Lathyrus hirsutus is a species of
wild pea known by several common names, including
Caley pea,
hairy vetchling, and
Austrian winterpea. It is native to Europe, North Africa, and much of Asia, and it is known from other continents, including North America, as an
introduced species. This is an annual herb producing a winged stem and leaves each made up of two leaflike leaflets with a braching, coiled
tendril. The
inflorescence holds one or two pink, blue, or bicolored pea flowers each 1 to 1.5 centimeters wide. The fruit is a
dehiscent legume pod covered in hairs with each hair growing from a minute bulbous base. The rest of the plant is generally hairless.
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