Lupinus albicaulis
- Scientific Name: Lupinus albicaulis
- Family: Fabaceae
- Common Names: sicklekeel lupine
- Synonyms/Misapplications: L. albicaulis var. albicaulis, L. falcifer, L. quercetorum, L. wolfianus
- Codon: LUPALB
Contents
Taxonomy
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Subkingdom: | Viridiplantae |
| Phylum: | Tracheophyta |
| Subphylum: | Spermatophytina |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass: | Rosanae |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Lupinus L. |
| Species: | Lupinus albicaulis Douglas |
Plant Description
Native perennial herb.
Leaves are palmately compound and composed of 5 to 10 narrowly oblong leaflets, each leaflet up to 7 cm. in size. Stems and both surfaces of leaves are covered in fine, whitish hairs.[2]
Pappilonaceous flowers vary in color and may be white, yellow, purple, or blue and white. Flowered are whorled in racemes up to 4.5 dm long.[2] Flowers have an upcurved glabrous keel, with slender wings which expose lower half of keel.[3]
Pods are 2-5 cm, silky.[4]
According to Flora of the Pacific Northwest, "Perennial lupines in North America form a taxonomically difficult group in which some species boundaries are blurred by wide-spread interbreeding; not all plants will readily key."[3]
Bloom Period
May to July [5]
Distribution
Puget Trough southwards, along West Cascades in Washington and Oregon, to California and western Nevada.[3]
Habitat
Grasslands and prairies from the lowlands to moderate elevations.[5]
Uses
Important larval host for several blue butterflies, including Puget Blue.
Because of the capacity to fix nitrogen and grow quickly, Lupinus albicaulis is useful for soil stabilization and improving soil fertility.[6]
Benefits hummingbirds and butterflies (larval host). Low palatability for browsing and grazing animals although small animals use it for cover. Birds eat seeds. Seeds toxic if eaten in large quantities. [7]
Seed
Seed sample from: 2011
Average Measurement: 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.1
Measurement Range: L: 5 - 6.5, W: 4 - 5, D: 1.5 - 2.5
Features
Color: Seeds are mostly off-white, tan, or gray with darker brown or tan mottling. Speckles tend to be heavier at seed edges leading to a darkened appearance.
Surface: Seeds smooth and glossy with some concave pitting.
Latitudinal Cross Section: elliptical 
Longitudinal Cross Section: elliptical 
Basic Explanations and Assumptions:
The dimensions for the seeds are length x width x depth. The location of the hilum is used as the base of the seed, and the length is measured from hilum to the opposite apex. Where a style is present, the length is measured from the hilum to the bottom of the style. Width is measured at a right angle to the length at the widest part. Depth is measured at a right angle to the intersection of height and width lines.
Measurements included are the mean average for each measurement of ten separate seeds.
All measurements in millimeters unless otherwise noted.
Photo Gallery
Photo by Rod Gilbert, 2006
Photo by Rod Gilbert, 2005
Photo by Rod Gilbert, 2006
Seedling, photo by Anita Goodrich.
References
- ↑ Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=25929
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bowcutt, F., & Hamman, Sarah. (2016). Vascular plants of the South Sound prairies (First ed.). Olympia, Washington: The Evergreen State College Press.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hitchcock, C. L., Cronquist, A., Giblin, D., & Legler, B. et al. (2018). Flora of the Pacific Northwest: an illustrated manual. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
- ↑ Teresa Sholars & Rhonda Riggins 2012, Lupinus albicaulis, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, /eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=76657, accessed on June 08, 2020
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 WTU Herbarium, Burke Museum, & University of Washington. Retrieved from https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Lupinus%20albicaulis
- ↑ Lupinus albicaulis. Sevenoaks Native Nursery. http://www.sevenoaksnativenursery.com/native-plants/perennials-and-bulbs/lupinus-albicaulis/.
- ↑ Plant Database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. (2007). https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LUAL3.
