Botanical name: Thermopsis barbata    Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)

Black pea is a perennial herb with root woody, stem about 30-50 cm, branched, mostly densely hairy, stipules leaf-like, lateral about 1.5-3.8 cm long, about 0.5-1.5 cm broad, elliptic. Leaves are stalkless, trifoliolate, leaflet about 1.5-3.8 cm long, about 0.5-1.5 cm broad, lanceshaped to elliptic, entire, nearly hairless to densely hairy. Deep purple, appearing black, flowers are borne in racemes of 1-3 flowers at each node. Vexillum is about 2.1-2.7 cm long, flower-stalk about 1.8-2.3 cm long, hairy. Sepal-cup is about 1.7 cm long, densely hairy, teeth about 10 mm long. Fruit stipe about 9 mm long; fruit about 3-3.5 cm long, about 1 cm broad, elliptic, hairy when young, becoming hairless, 1-6-seeded. Black pea is found in the northern parts of Himachal Pradesh and Garhwal, on open slopes and high meadows, at altitudes of 3200-4500 m. Flowering: May-July.

Your name:
Your email:
Your comments
The flower labeled Black Pea is ...