Pickeringia
Pickeringia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It was recently assigned to the unranked, monophyletic Cladrastis clade. It was named after the naturalist Charles Pickering. Its only species is Pickeringia montana, which is known by the common name chaparral pea. It is native to California, where its distribution extends along the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada foothills, as well as the Peninsular Ranges of Southern California and northern Baja California. It is also known from Santa Cruz Island.
| Pickeringia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Clade: | Cladrastis clade |
| Genus: | Pickeringia Nutt ex Torr & A. Gray |
| Species: | P. montana |
| Binomial name | |
| Pickeringia montana Torr & A. Gray | |
| Subspecies | |
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See text | |
| Synonyms | |
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It is one of very few legumes native to the chaparral habitat. Its nitrogen-fixing ability helps it thrive in rocky, sandy soil. The plant is also well-suited to a landscape of hills, slopes, and recently burned areas; its roots spread quickly and help anchor loose soil, preventing erosion.