beach pea

American  

noun

1. either of two plants of the legume family, Lathyrus japonicus, of seashores of the North Temperate Zone, or L. littoralis, of the temperate western coast of North America, both having oblong leaves and clusters of pealike flowers.

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Etymology

Origin of beach pea

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

Two rare plants found here — Champlain beach grass and low-growing beach pea — are remnants of a time when the lake was an estuary of the Atlantic.

From New York Times

And beyond the beaches where the beach peas dig so diligently are the seaweeds—with a talent for picking and choosing all their own.

From Project Gutenberg

Next, set thickly in a mass representing a stout bush, comes the fleshy beach pea with rosy purple flowers.

From Project Gutenberg