Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Other common names
elegant lupine
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
6 inches
Riparian
No
A many-branched plant, both at the base and higher on the stems; stems and leaves are densely hairy with spreading hairs; leaves palmate; flowers purple, pink or nearly white and pea-like.
Much branched, densely hairy. Leaves palmately compound; 5 to 9 oval leaflets. Seed leaves stemmed. Pea-like purple, pink, or nearly white flowers, keel without hairs; flower stalks less than 3 inches long. Small hairy pods with 3 to 5 seeds.
Habitat
Dry sandy soils.
Plant Community
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
5000
Flower Characteristics
Flowers are pale purple, pink or white, edged with a deeper purple; pea-like; upper petal (the banner) is rounded; keel is not hairy. Flower stems are clustered among the leaves.
Flower color
Purple, pink or white
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
March
Last bloom month
May
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves up to 1 inch wide, densely haired.
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf color
Grayish-green
Leaf shape
Palmate
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
The hairy pods split open explosively ejecting the seeds about 3 feet from the plant.
Fruit type
Pod
Fruit color
Green turning to brown
There are 2 to 4 pea-like seeds to a pod.