logo Calflora, a 501c3 non-profit
Taxon  Report  
Lathyrus japonicus  Willd.
Beach pea,   Sea pea
Lathyrus japonicus is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
California Rare Plant Rank: 2B.1 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA; common elsewhere).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
(45 records)
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
bloom graphic
Bloom Period
Genus: Lathyrus
Family: Fabaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Major

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Habitat: coastal

Communities: Coastal Strand

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS
Alternate Names:
JEFLathyrus japonicus var. glaber
JEFLathyrus japonicus var. maritimus
JEFLathyrus maritimus
Information about  Lathyrus japonicus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (LAJA)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 06/05/2023).