Lathyrus palustris. Marsh pea.
Life-form & Growth Form:
Hemicryptophyte/geophyte. Herbaceous perennial. Rhizomatous, rhizome far-creeping.
Flowering period:
June and July.
Habitats:
Base-rich fens, reed- beds and fen-meadows. Rank marshy vegetation. More rarely found on marshy ground close to rivers. Lowland.
Threats:
Habitat loss and fragmentation through drainage of marshy grassland and fen. Overgrazing and excessive poaching by livestock. Historic lowering of Lough Neagh water levels. Under-grazing results in shading out by taller wetland vegetation and wet woodland. Eutrophication results in rank growth which shades out L. palustris.
Static distribution map:
