Lupinus sulphureus

Taxobox
name = "Lupinus sulphureus"


image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Lupinus sulphureus" subsp. "kincaidii"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
tribus = Genisteae
genus = "Lupinus"
species = "L. sulphureus"
binomial = "Lupinus sulphureus"
binomial_authority = Douglas ex Hook.

"Lupinus sulphureus" (Sulphur Lupine) is a species of lupine native to western North America from southern British Columbia south through Washington to Oregon. It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 40-80 cm tall. The leaves are palmately compound, with 7-13 leaflets, the leaflets 2-5 cm long. The flowers are produced in whorls on a spike 12-20 cm long.

There are three subspecies:
*"Lupinus sulphureus" subsp. "kincaidii" (Kincaid's Lupine; syn. "L. oreganus" subsp. "kincaidii"). Willamette Valley of Western Oregon as well as parts of South Western Washington. Flowers purple. Threatened.
*"Lupinus sulphureus" subsp. "subsaccatus". Southern British Columbia south to Oregon. Flowers yellow.
*"Lupinus sulphureus" subsp. "sulphureus". Eastern Washington and eastern Oregon. Flowers yellow.

Kincaid's Lupine is threatened in the wild. Fender's blue butterfly, an endangered species, needs this subspecies to survive. Its larvae eat the leaves during the fall then crawl down the stem and hide among the roots during the mild winters. In spring, the larvae re-emerge and eat more leaves then form cocoons. They metamorphasize and come out as the adult with brilliant blue wings.

References

* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?310112 Germplasm Resources Information Network: "Lupinus sulphureus"]
* [http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Lupinus+sulphureus Plants of British Columbia: "Lupinus sulphureus"]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LUSU5 USDA Plants Profile: "Lupinus sulphureus"]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LUORK USDA Plants Profile: "Lupinus sulphureus" subsp. "kincaidii"] (as "L. oreganus" subsp. "kincaidii")