Lupine
Species profile by Wendy Aeschliman
Common Name(s): Lupine, Wild Lupine
Pronunciation: Loo' pin
Family: Fabaceae/ Leguminosae: Pea Family
Scientific Name: Lupinus (many species)
Native/ Non-native: Native
General Info: Generally a perennial forb, to 80 cm tall (2.6 ft). Several smooth, hollow erect stems branch from a woody rootstock. Blooms midsummer.
Native/ Non-native: Native
Ecology: Common along roadsides, clearings, meadows and open subalpine forests.
Range: Varies with species.
Leaves: Palmately compound leaves have the leaflets radiating from the end of the petiole, like fingers off the palm of a hand, e.g. cannabis (hemp). 6 to 8 lance-shaped leaflets are smooth above and hairy below.
Flowers: Pea like, blue to purple, occasionally pinkish, in elongated clusters, 12 to 15 mm long, although varies with species.
Fruits/ Seeds: Hairy pods.
Notes:
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Provides spectacular midsummer displays in subalpine meadows (see photo at right).
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Considered a favorite food of marmots.
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Lupine, as other legumes, enhances soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into a useful form. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria reside in nodules along the roots., converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds the plants can use, thus they increase soil fertility in areas where nitrogen is limited.
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Seeds can be toxic both to livestock and humans, especially in larger quantity.
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Good for soil stabilization.
Resources/ Links:
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=lupe3
Plants of Southern Interior British Colombia and the Inland Northwest (Parish, Coupe, Lloyd), 1996
Above: A black bear passes through a meadow near Schweitzer Resort, Sandpoint, Idaho, with a wonderful display of lupine.
Photos by Wendy Aeschliman