Lathyrus latifolius -- Nevada

Lathyrus latifolius, also known as perennial pea, everlasting pea, perennial sweet pea, and sweet pea, is a vining perennial pea (family Fabaceae) native to the Mediterranean (southern Europe and northern Africa). It has spread across the globe primarily due to its value as an ornamental; it serves as an easy-to-grow vine or groundcover and produces attractive, large, orchid-shaped flowers mostly in summer. It is now naturalized or invasive across a large portion of the United States and is also found across Europe, parts of southern South America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Africa. However, it is almost entirely absent from Nevada and other parts of the world that share a similar climate, such as parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Central Asia. It is present in parts of eastern Oregon, where it is considered a noxious weed, and shares a similar climate to Nevada. After import into new areas, it is known to escape and establish large stands where it can smother native plants, especially along roadsides, abandoned homestead sites, and other areas with anthropogenic influence. The fruit and seeds are toxic to humans and animals, so it is generally assumed that seed dispersal takes place through a combination of violent dehiscence followed by occasional transport via wind or water. This species also reproduces prolifically via rhizome clones. Although it is mostly absent from Nevada, its propensity to propagate via rhizome, making it more difficult to control and easier to spread, plus its potential harmful effects for native plant and animal life, lead to a "high" evaluation risk score of 16.