Scientific Family
Fabaceae
Synonyms
Lupinus sparsiflorus var. insignatus
Other common names
Mojave lupine
desert lupine
sand lupine
chicharito
trebola
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Similar species
Lupinus odoratus
Height
To about 15 inches
Riparian
No
Branched, erect annual with thin, reddish, hairy stems and green leaves shaped like a hand with the fingers spread. Blue butterfly-like flowers, about 1/2 inch long, grow in loose clusters in a spiral pattern on spiked stalks that rise above the foliage.
Annual, dries green; leaflets 7 to 11, <1/2 inch long; flowers on loosely flowered elongated stems, keels usually hairy, upper lip deeply lobed; petals generally blue, drying darker, banner spot whitish, turns pinkish-purple; fruit pods 3 to 5-seeded.
Habitat
Found on rocky slopes, roadsides, open fields, creosote bush communities, foothills, mesas and washes, especially in areas with sandy soils.
Plant Community
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
4500
Flower Characteristics
Each flower has 5 petals that are usually blue but may be purple. The upper petal (banner) has a whitish spot with reddish dots in a yellow center that ages to a dark pinkish-purple spot. The 2 bottom petals (keel) are short, wide and have hairy edges.
Flower color
Blue, darker with age
Flower shape
Irregular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
January
Last bloom month
May
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems have stiff, short, flat hairs and long, soft, spreading surface hairs. Leaves grow to about 3 inches long and consist of 7 to 11 finger-like leaflets nearly 1/2 inch long and about 1/16 inch wide. During the day, the leaflets rotate to face the sun.
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf color
Dark green
Leaf shape
Palmate
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
The fruit is about 3/4 inch long and 1/4 inch wide and curves upward on the plant. It has a covering of short, stiff, flat surface hairs and is slightly narrowed between the seeds giving it a flattened appearance.
Fruit type
Pod
Fruit color
Bright green
Each pod usually contains 3 to 5 seeds. When ripe, the pod bursts open to release the seeds in a process known as "explosive dehiscence" which enables the seeds to disperse by scattering them in many directions far from the parent plant.