Beach peas, Lathyrus japonicus is a perennial member of the legume family found on sandy beaches and dunes in Maine. Beach pea has showy purple or pink flowers and smooth, stalk-less seed pods that contain small peas. The peas are eaten by animals, such as deer, mice, and birds, but they are not safe for human consumption because they contain a paralyzing agent. The flowers are an attractive food sources for bees and butterflies. The beach pea's extensive native range is due to the ability of the seeds to remain viable in seawater up to 5 years. The plant can germinate when the tough seed shell is broken open by abrasion with the sand. Once established, the roots of the beach pea help bind soils of beaches and dunes. This was photographed at Popham near Fort Popham, Phippsburg, Maine
{"Image ImageDescription": "Beach peas, Lathyrus japonicus is a perennial member of the legume family found on sandy beaches and dunes in Maine. Beach pea has showy purple or pink flowers and smooth, stalk-less seed pods that contain small peas. The peas are eaten by animals, such as deer, mice, and birds, but they are not safe for human consumption because they contain a paralyzing agent. The flowers are an attractive food sources for bees and butterflies. The beach pea's extensive native range is due to the ability of the seeds to remain viable in seawater up to 5 years. The plant can germinate when the tough seed shell is broken open by abrasion with the sand. Once established, the roots of the beach pea help bind soils of beaches and dunes. This was photographed at Popham near Fort Popham, Phippsburg, Maine", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 50D", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image DateTime": "2013:02:20 12:50:23", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image Copyright": "Robin Robinson", "Image ExifOffset": "1002", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/125", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Unidentified", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "1000", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0232", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2009:06:12 15:30:55", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2009:06:12 15:30:55", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ApertureValue": "10", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "1/3", "EXIF SubjectDistance": "187/100", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "235", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "00", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "00", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF BodySerialNumber": "420329281", "EXIF LensModel": "EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM"}