Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Lupinus capitatus, Lupinus siler
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Similar species
Lupinus kingii var. argillaceus, L. concinnus, L. brevicaulis, L. pusillus
Height
2 to 8 inches
Riparian
No
Taproot; stems branched near the base erect or widely spreading. Stems, leaves and sepals covered with soft silky hair. Leaf petioles attach to stem nodes.
A low, copiously hairy, stemmed annual; palmately compound leaves attach to the stems, at least 2 nodes above the base of the plant; purple pea-flowers in dense clusters, upper and lower lips of the sepals are of similar length. Pods with 2 seeds.
Habitat
Found in dry, open habitats in ponderosa pine forests and oak-pine and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Low elevation
5000
High elevation
8500
Flower Characteristics
Flowers 2-lipped, upper lip is a banner and lower lip consists of wings and keel in short dense spikes, flowers mature bottom up; sepals (calyx) green or purple, 1/2 inch long with straight stiff hairs. Wide upper banner petal white or yellow centered.
Flower color
Purple or blue and white
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
June
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Mostly alternate along hairy stems, plus a few in a basal cluster in dense mats; hairy leaflets joined in the middle (palmately compound), on 1/8 inch stems (petioles), 4 to 7 leaflets per leaf; leaflets 1/8 inch long, narrowing at attachment point.
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Palmate
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
With long, soft, hair on pods about half inch long, slightly flattened, ovate, not constricted between the seeds.
Fruit type
Pod
2 seeds per pod.