lupines
genus Lupinus
Member of
legume family (family Fabaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)
Except for old historical records and extremely rare examples that I don't expect to encounter, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.
Camera angles:
Key features:
Lupine parts labeled in close view:
Fantastic series of close-up photos with explanations.
The bracts are thin/linear sprouts immediately subtending each sepal of the calyx.
butter lupine
Lupinus luteolus
- habit: annual 30–75 cm, sparsely hairy or in age glabrous, appearing glaucous; cotyledons disk-like, persistent [example] at plant base, or leaving circular scar
- stem: hard, rigid
- leaf: petiole 2–5 cm; leaflets 7–9, 10–30 mm, 4–9 mm wide, adaxially generally hairy
- inflorescence: 5–22 cm, flowers in generally crowded whorls; peduncle 4–15 cm; pedicels 1–3 mm; bracts 5–11 mm, reflexed, hairy, persistent
- flower: 10–16 mm; calyx upper lip 3–5 mm, lower 6–10 mm, appendages generally 0; petals generally pale yellow (± pink or bright blue), wings generally ciliate on upper (lower) margins near claw
- keel upper, lower margins equally ± densely ciliate
- Jasper, Alum Rock, Grant, Mt. Diablo foothills
chick lupine
Lupinus microcarpus
- habit: annual 10–80 cm, sparsely to densely hairy; cotyledons disk-like, persistent [example] at plant base, or leaving circular scar
- stem: clearly hollow, at least below
- leaf: petiole 3–15 cm; leaflets 5–11, generally 9, 10–50 mm, 2–12 mm wide, occasionally linear, adaxially glabrous
- inflorescence: 2–30 cm; peduncle 2–30 cm; pedicels 0.5–5 mm; bracts 3.5–12 mm, reflexed, persistent
- flower: 8–18 mm; calyx upper lip 2–6 mm, lower 5–10 mm, appendages generally 0; petals white to dark yellow, pink to dark rose, or lavender to purple, wings generally ciliate on upper (less often lower) margins near claw
- keel upper margins ciliate [only proximal section?], lower less so or glabrous near claw
- common
stinging lupine
Lupinus hirsutissimus
- habit: annual 20–100 cm (often > 100 cm after fire), short-appressed- and stiff-spreading-stinging-hairy
- leaf: petiole 4–9 cm; leaflets 5–8, 20–50 mm, 10–20 mm wide
- inflorescence: 10–30 cm, flowers spiralled; peduncle 5–8 cm; pedicels 2–5 mm; bracts 4–5 mm, generally persistent
- flower: 12–18 mm; calyx 6–10 mm, lips ± equal, upper deeply lobed; petals dark pink to magenta, drying ± purple, banner spot ± yellow, in age magenta
- keel upper margins glabrous, lower densely ciliate middle to near claw
- Fremont Older, Castle Rock, Nisene Marks
collared annual lupine
Lupinus truncatus
- habit: annual 20–30(50) cm, finely hairy, generally appearing glabrous
- leaf: petiole 3–10 cm, flat, leaflet-like; leaflets 5–8, 20–40 mm, 2–5 mm wide, linear, adaxially glabrous, tip generally truncate
- inflorescence: 3–25 cm, flowers sparse, spiralled; peduncle 3–10 cm; pedicels 2–4 mm; bracts 2–5 mm, persistent
- flower: 8–13 mm; calyx 3–4 mm, lips ± equal, upper deeply lobed; banner, wings magenta, banner spot ± yellow, dark magenta in age
- keel tip stout, blunt, upper, lower margins ciliate middle to claw
- along hwy 17 corridor, including Bear Creek Redwoods
arroyo lupine
Lupinus succulentus
- habit: annual, often appearing perennial herb, 20–100 cm, sparsely hairy, fleshy
- leaf: petiole 6–15 cm; leaflets 7–9, 20–60 mm, 7–20 mm wide, adaxially glabrous
- inflorescence: 9–15 cm, flowers whorled; peduncle 5–9 cm; pedicels 3–7 mm; bract 3–5
- flower: 12–18 mm; calyx 4–7 mm, lips ± equal, upper lobed; petals generally blue-purple (white, pink, lavender), banner spot white, magenta in age, wings sparsely ciliate on upper margins near claw
- keel upper, lower margins ciliate near claw, glabrous from middle to tip
- common
chamisso bush lupine
Lupinus chamissonis
- habit: shrub 50–200 cm, silvery, densely appressed-hairy
- stem: erect
- leaf: cauline; stipules 8–10 mm; petiole 1–3.5 cm; leaflets 5–9, 10–25 mm
- inflorescence: 5–20 cm, flowers ± whorled; peduncle 2–6 cm; pedicels 4–8 mm; bract 7–10 mm
- flower: 8–16 mm; calyx upper lip 5–7 mm, deeply lobed, lower 7–9 mm, entire; petals light violet to blue, banner back densely hairy, spot yellow
- keel upper margins glabrous, lower ± ciliate
- common in SF, also found near Cowell
silver bush lupine
Lupinus albifrons
- habit: subshrub, shrub, < 500 cm, hairy, generally silver (± green)
- stem: decumbent to erect
- leaf: cauline, clustered near base or not, hairy; stipules 6–20 mm; petiole 1–8 cm; leaflets 6–10, 10–45 mm
- inflorescence: 4–30 cm, flowers generally not to loosely whorled; peduncle 5–13 cm; pedicels 3–10 mm; bract 4–15 mm
- flower: 9–16 mm; calyx upper lip 6–8 mm, deeply divided, lower 6–10 mm, entire to 3-toothed; petals violet to lavender, banner back generally hairy (best seen in buds), spot generally yellow (to white) turning purple
- keel generally unlobed near base, upper margins generally ciliate middle to tip, lower glabrous
- very common
coastal bush lupine
Lupinus arboreus
- habit: shrub 50–200 cm, green-glabrous to silver-hairy
- stem: woody, erect
- leaf: cauline; stipules 8–12 mm; petiole 2–3(6) cm; leaflets 5–12, 20–60 mm
- inflorescence: 10–30 cm, flowers whorled or not; peduncle 4–10 cm; pedicels 4–10 mm; bract 8–10 mm
- flower: 14–18 mm; calyx upper lip 5–9 mm, 2-toothed, lower 5–7 mm, entire; petals generally yellow (lilac to purple, especially north of central NCo), banner back glabrous (best seen in buds), spot darker or not to white
- keel upper margins ciliate claw to tip, lower glabrous
- very common near the pacific coast, rare elsewhere
broadleaf lupine
Lupinus latifolius
- habit: perennial herb 30–240 cm, green, glabrous to hairy, not fleshy
- stem: erect
- leaf: cauline; stipules 5–10 mm; petiole 4–20 cm; leaflets 5–11, 40–100 mm, abaxially ± hairy, adaxially glabrous to hairy
- inflorescence: 16–60 cm, open, flowers whorled or not; peduncle 8–20 cm; pedicels 2–12 mm; bract 8–12 mm
- flower: 8–18 mm; calyx upper lip 5–10 mm, entire to 2-toothed, lower 4–8 mm, entire or notched; petals blue or purple to white, banner back glabrous, spot generally white to ± yellow turning purple
- keel upper margins ciliate claw to middle, glabrous from middle to tip, lower generally ciliate [?]
- common
meadow lupine
Lupinus polyphyllus ssp. polyphyllus
- habit: perennial herb 20–150 cm, green, glabrous or sparsely hairy
- stem: erect, stout, generally hollow
- leaf: basal and cauline; stipules 5–30 mm; petioles 3–45 cm, upper shorter; leaflets 9–17, 40–150 mm, abaxially ± strigose, adaxially glabrous
- inflorescence: 6–40 cm, open, flowers ± whorled; peduncle 3–13 cm; pedicels 3–15 mm; bract 7–11 mm
- flower: 9–15 mm; calyx lips 4–7 mm, entire; petals violet to lavender to pink to white, banner back glabrous, spot yellow to white occasionally turning red-purple
- keel upcurved, generally glabrous
- rare, in cooler areas
summer lupine
Lupinus formosus var. formosus
- habit: perennial herb 20–80 cm, densely hairy to tomentose, gray to silver; rhizomes 3–7 mm diam
- stem: spreading to erect, 3–4 mm diam
- leaf: cauline; stipules 4–15 mm; petiole 2–7 cm; leaflets 7–9, 25–70 mm; hairy, green-gray to silver
- inflorescence: 10–30 cm, flowers ± whorled; peduncle 3–7 cm; pedicels 3–7 mm; bract 4–14 mm
- flower: 10–14 mm; calyx upper lip 7–11 mm, 2-toothed, lower 8–12 mm, entire to 3-toothed; petals purple, banner back glabrous, spot white or not
- keel upcurved, glabrous
- common
varied lupine
Lupinus variicolor
- habit: perennial herb, subshrub, 20–50 cm, generally dense-appressed or -spreading-silver-hairy
- stem: prostrate to decumbent, not weak
- leaf: cauline, often appearing clustered near base 1st year; stipules 7–8 mm; petiole generally 4–10 cm; leaflets 6–9, 20–35 mm
- inflorescence: 6–15 cm, flowers ± whorled or not; peduncle 4–12 cm; pedicels 4–12 mm; bract 4–7 mm
- flower: 11–16 mm; calyx upper lip 7–8 mm, 2-toothed, lower 8–9 mm, generally entire; petals white, yellow, rose, or purple, often on 1 petal, banner back glabrous, spot 0
- keel upper margins ciliate, lower glabrous
- common along pacific coast and east bay from Chabot north
Toxicity of blue bonnet, lupine (Lupinus spp.):
4 – Ingestion of these plants, especially in large amounts, is expected to cause serious effects to the heart, liver, kidneys or brain. If ingested in any amount, call the poison center immediately.
13 observed taxons / 7 unobserved taxons / 4 keys
Chris’s observations: 256 (136 are research grade)
Locations:
- Henry Coe SP: 42
- Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve: 22
- Sierra Azul OSP: 12
- Almaden Quicksilver CP: 11
- Calero CP: 11
- Coyote Lake / Harvey Bear Ranch CP: 11
- Sunol Wilderness RP: 10
- Máyyan 'Ooyákma Coyote Ridge OSP: 9
- Santa Teresa CP: 9
- Fremont Older OSP: 8
- Waterdog Lake & Open Space: 8
- Castle Rock SP: 7
- Joseph D. Grant CP: 6
- Wilder Ranch SP: 6
- Mission Peak RP: 4
- Pleasanton Ridge RP: 4
- Rancho Cañada del Oro OSP: 4
- Russian Ridge OSP: 4
- San Jose, CA: 4
- Andrew Molera SP: 3
- Butano SP: 3
- Ed R. Levin CP: 3
- El Corte de Madera OSP: 3
- Long Ridge OSP: 3
- Murray Ranch SP: 3
- Stevens Creek CP: 3
- Sweeney Ridge National Recreation Area: 3
- Yosemite NP: 3
- Coal Creek OSP: 2
- Coyote Hills RP: 2
- Coyote Valley OSP: 2
- Garrapata SP: 2
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area: 2
- La Honda Creek OSP: 2
- Lexington Reservoir CP: 2
- Monte Bello OSP: 2
- Mt. Madonna SP: 2
- Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP: 2
- Skyline Ridge OSP: 2
- Alum Rock Park, San Jose
- Big Basin SP
- Crockett Hills RP
- Cupertino, CA
- Dry Creek Pioneer RP
- Fort Ord NM
- Henry Cowell Redwoods SP
- Henry Cowell Redwoods SP - Fall Creek Unit
- McNee Ranch / Montara Mountain SP
- Pacheco SP
- Rancho San Antonio OSP
- San Pedro Valley CP
- Sanborn CP
- Sierra Vista OSP
- UCSC Campus Natural Reserve
Months:
- Feb.: 10
- Mar.: 51
- Apr.: 86
- May: 53
- Jun.: 26
- Jul.: 19
- Aug.: 4
- Sep.: 3
- Oct.: 3
- Nov.: 1
For more details, use advanced search.
Not all sites include this taxon:
Bay Area species:
iNaturalist
–
Calflora
