Lupinus succulentus  Koch   Fabaceae (Pea Family)   Native   Common Lupine    Arroyo Lupine   Succulent Lupine     Dove Lupine

                                           February Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Annual, glabrate or sparsely pubescent, with hairs lying flat, stout, usually succulent, branched, 2-8 dm. tall; lvs. long petioled, 6-12 cm., glabrous above, leaflets 7-9, rather dark green, leaves obovate; fls. in whorls or groups, 6-30 cm. long; pedicels 4-6 mm. long, spreading-pubescent, deep blue to almost white, banner with yellow center turning violet, wings slightly ciliate at base, keel ciliate near claws, both above and below; pods about 5 cm. long, loosely pubescent, several seeded, seeds oblong, marbled with a dark brown, a pair of whitish spots embracing the micropyle.

Habitat:  Usually in heavy soil on grassy flats and slopes below 2000 ft.; many Plant Communities; n. L. Calif. to n. Calif.  Feb-May.

Name:  Latin, lupus, a wolf, because of an old idea that lupines rob the soil.  Succulentus means thick and fleshy, juicy.  This plant is thicker and fleshier than other Lupines.  (Dale 114).  There are 48 species of lupine listed in Munz, Flora of Southern California.

General:  The most common of the Lupines in the study area.  Photographed on the North Star Flats and Santa Ana Heights Bluffs.   (my comments).     Many lupines are poisonous to livestock.  (Robbins et al. 261).       No Cahuilla Indian of today can recall any practical uses for the various species of lupine found in Cahuilla Territory  (generally the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains and the Colorado Desert).  (Bean and Saubel 86).       Indians made a tea from the seeds of Lupinus sp. and used it medicinally, especially to help urination.  Early in the spring, leaves and flowers were stripped off and steamed, then eaten with acorn soup.  Seeds are often dangerous because of alkaloids.  (Sweet 42).     Some flowers have no nectar and offer only pollen to attract potential pollinators.  Lupinus, Eschscholzia, and Rosa are examples of genera with nectarless flowers.  Because they receive no immediate energy from pollen, bumble bees must visit nectar-bearing plants while foraging for pollen. When nectar-bearing flowers are widely spaced bumble bees may borrow nectar from the nest before they leave for the pollen bearing flowers; an advantage not enjoyed by non-social (solitary) bees. (Thorp, Robbin W., Schroeder, Peter C and Ferguson, Carol S. “Bumble Bees: Boisterous Pollinators of Native California Flowers” FREMONTIA, A Journal of the California Native Plant Society. Vol. 30, Nos 3-4 July-Oct. 2002 pp. 26-31).        Often seeded on road banks.  (Hickman, Ed. 636).

Text Ref:  Dale 114; Hickman, Ed. 636; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 462; Roberts 24.

Photo Ref:  Feb. 1 83 # 35A; Mar 2 85 # 3; Mar 3 85 # 1.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

First Found: February 1983.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 77.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 5/23/04    .  

                              March Photo                                          March Photo