Fabaceae, the pea, bean or legume family.
Description:
Plant:
Ascending or climbing, slightly hairy, vine-like plant to 3'-4', with compound leaves and pink,
pea-like flowers arising singly or in pairs from the leaf axils.
Annual.
Flowers:
Pink to purple, pea-like flowers, 1/2"-1", borne singly or in pairs in the leaf axils.
Leaves:
Alternate, compound, tendril-tipped, usually with 10-12 narrowly elliptical leaflets.
Leaflet tips are notched with a small spike.
Fruit:
Pea-like pod, about 1" long.
Blooming:
May-June
Habitat:
Fields, roadsides.
Comments:
Also known as Garden Vetch.
This annual, native to Europe, is grown as a forage plant. Escaped, it is sometimes a weed.
Like other legumes, it fixes nitrogen, though it is not as effective as some others.
Where to find it:
I have seen this plant only around the small pond across Westfall road from the main park.