Family |
Fabaceae
Lathyrus spathulatus
Čelak.
Lathyrus spathulatus Čelak.
First published in Oesterr. Bot. Z. 38: 6 (1888).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, pp. 428–429, historical combined account under Lathyrus digitatus including L. elongatus; see taxonomic note)
Description
Synonyms: Lathyrus digitatus var. stenophyllus (Bornm.) Dinsm.; Lathyrus elongatus var. stenophyllus (Bornm.) Širj.; Orobus sessilifolius var. stenophyllus Bornm. Davis also clarifies Lathyrus celakovskyi Širj. as synonymous with L. spathulatus when correctly typified.
Life-form & diagnostic characters: Perennial herb. Davis distinguishes the true species by middle leaves with two pairs of leaflets, a broadly spatulate style, and calyx teeth with a somewhat membranous margin. Its racemes are shorter and bear fewer flowers than those of L. elongatus, which has consistently one pair of leaflets and more attenuated calyx teeth.
Historical regional morphology: Mouterde’s broader combined account describes plants glabrous or finely pubescent, with a short rhizome and erect, angular, unwinged stems 20–40 cm or taller. Stipules narrow and half-arrow-shaped; lower leaves with one leaflet pair, upper leaves commonly with two closely adjacent pairs. Erect peduncles usually exceed the leaves and carry loose racemes of 5–10 deep violet-purple flowers, 12–20 mm or longer. Pods linear, about 6 cm long and 7 mm wide. These measurements describe the historical combined treatment and are not a separately verified diagnosis of L. spathulatus.
Flowering and habitat
Flowering: March–June in Mouterde’s combined regional treatment; not separately established there for L. spathulatus.
Habitat & elevation: Intact or degraded woodland and grassy places in Mouterde’s combined treatment. No species-specific numerical elevation range is established by that account.
Distribution
Regional distribution: Davis explicitly records the true L. spathulatus from the Amanus mountains, Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon and Jordan. Mouterde’s combined locality lists cannot be assigned unequivocally to this species.
Recorded locations: Kornet Chehwan.
Native range: Lebanon-Syria, Palestine and Türkiye, according to the previously verified complete Kew POWO distribution record.
Taxonomic reference: P. H. Davis, Materials for a Flora of Turkey: VI, Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 24: 20–21 (1962).
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Davis distinguishes Lathyrus spathulatus from both L. elongatus and L. digitatus and explains their historical confusion. He places L. elongatus var. stenophyllus under L. spathulatus and explicitly confirms the latter in Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon. True L. digitatus differs in its linear, rather than broadly spatulate, style; L. elongatus has consistently one leaflet pair. Mouterde combines L. digitatus and L. elongatus on pp. 428–429 without isolating the modern L. spathulatus concept. His combined morphology, flowering and habitat are retained above only as attributed historical context, not as proof that every included form or locality belongs to L. spathulatus. Neither L. digitatus nor L. elongatus is treated here as an unrestricted synonym.