Vicia andicola

Native from northern Venezuela through the Andes to northwestern Argentina, this climbing perennial herb belongs to the pea family. Its slender, branching stems grow among surrounding vegetation, supported by tendrils at the ends of compound leaves. The leaves carry several pairs of narrow leaflets. Purple, pea-shaped flowers grow in small clusters and develop into flattened seed pods. It occurs in mountain forests, shrublands, and grasslands. In Colombia, it grows between about 6,600 and 13,800 feet. In Ecuador, its leaves and flowers have a traditional use in fever remedies. Photographed in Colombia.