Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest along the northern border of Washington; Alaska to Washington, east across the northern U.S. and Canada to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist woods, at the edge of thickets.
Flowers: May-July
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Review Group 1 in Washington (WANHP)
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, butterflies
Glabrous, rhizomatous perennial, the stems 3-8 dm. tall, not winged.
Leaves alternate, pinnate; stipules about half the length of the leaflets, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, not constricted into two lobes; leaflets usually 6, ovate to lance-elliptic, 3-7 cm. long and 1-4 cm. wide; tendrils well developed, usually branched.
Inflorescence of racemes on long peduncles arising from the leaf axils; flowers 6-14, white or cream to pale yellow, 12-16 mm. long; calyx 8-10 mm. long, the upper 2 teeth deltoid-ovate, much shorter than the oblong-lanceolate lateral pair, which are shorter and wider than the lowest tooth; banner 14-17 mm. long, the claw shorter than the blade; wings equal to the slightly recurved keel.
Pod 3-6 cm. long, 4-7 mm. broad, 5-12 seeded.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Lathyrus ochroleucus in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Lathyrus ochroleucus checklist entry
OregonFlora: Lathyrus ochroleucus information
E-Flora BC: Lathyrus ochroleucus atlas page
CalPhotos: Lathyrus ochroleucus photos