Bush Vetchling
Lathyrus eucosmus

Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
AKA: Bush Peavine, Wild Sweetpea, Seemly Sweetpea
Photo taken on: September 25, 2011
Location: Burnt Mesa, NM
Life Zones: Plains to montane
Habitat: Gulches and open oak/ponderosa woodlands

Grows to 20" long, climbing or sprawling. Leaflets are leathery and up to 2½" long in 3 to 4 pairs. Flowers are rose pink to purple with whitish wings and are a showy 1" across in clusters of 2 to 5. Flowers and leaves are much larger than American Vetch which also have purplish pea-shaped flowers.

Few-flower Pea
Lathyrus pauciflorus

Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
AKA: Utah Sweetpea, Steppe Sweetpea
Photo taken on: July 10, 2013
Location: Almont, CO
Life Zones: Plains to foothills
Habitat: Grasslands, sagebrush, dry woods

Grows to 20" long, climbing or sprawling with the long flower stem holding the the flowers above the leaves. Where the leaves and flower stalks join the stem are noticeable stipules, leaf-like growths. Leaflets are oval to lance-shaped, over 1" long in 5 to 6 pairs. Clusters of 3 to 7 flowers are pink to violet fading bluish with a whitish keel shorter than the wings.