| Lotus rigidus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Lotus |
| Species: | L. rigidus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lotus rigidus (Benth.) Greene |
|
Lotus rigidus, the desert rock pea, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to the Mojave Desert in the Southwestern United States and northwest Mexico. It is found between the Colorado River and Death Valley, and south into Baja California. Other names include shrubby deervetch.
It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 0.5–1.5 m tall. The leaves are irregularly pinnate or palmate with 3-4 leaflets, 5-15 mm long. The flowers are yellow, turning red or purple as they age.