Lupinus arbustus
Lupinus
grassland lupine (ssp. neolaxiflorus), long-spur lupine, Montana lupine (ssp. pseudoparviflorus), spur lupine
bluebonnet, lupine
erect, ascending, or decumbent, branched.
erect to decumbent or prostrate, branched or unbranched, usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous.
cauline and basal;
stipules 4–9 mm;
petiole 2–16 cm;
leaflets 7–10(–13), blades 20–70 × 3–15 mm, adaxial surface strigose.
alternate, usually palmately compound, rarely 3-foliolate or unifoliolate, usually cauline, sometimes crowded near base or basal;
stipules present, setaceous, adnate to petiole; petiolate;
leaflets (1 or 3)4–11(–17), stipels absent, blade margins entire, surfaces glabrous or pubescent.
open, 3–18 cm;
flowers whorled.
3–100+-flowered, terminal, racemes, erect, rarely axillary and reduced to 1 or 2 flowers, flowers spirally arranged or whorled;
bracts present, persistent or deciduous.
2–5 cm;
bracts deciduous, 3–6 mm.
1–7 mm.
8–14 mm;
calyx spur distinct, 1–3 mm, abaxial lobe 3-toothed, 2.5–5 mm, 1–3 mm, adaxial lobe 2-toothed, 2–4 mm;
corolla blue, purple, pink, white, or yellowish, banner patch white, yellowish, or absent, banner hairy abaxially, wings with dense hair patch outside near tip, lower keel margins glabrous, adaxial margin ciliate.
papilionaceous, chasmogamous;
calyx bilabiate, lobes connate, entire or toothed, usually with appendages (often inconspicuous) between lobes;
corolla usually blue to purple, sometimes white, yellow, pink or rose;
banner with central groove, sides reflexed;
wings connivent at tips, corrugated;
keel usually attenuate;
stamens 10, monadelphous;
anthers basifixed, dimorphic, alternately long on short filaments, short on long filaments;
style brushy.
legumes, sessile, straight, laterally compressed, usually oblong, splitting along both margins, valves usually twisted after dehiscence, usually pubescent, rarely glabrous.
2–3 cm, silky.
deciduous, petiolate.
usually deciduous, usually petiolate.
3–6, tan, 5–6 mm.
(1 or)2–12, usually smooth, rarely ridged or tuberculate, spheric, lentiform, or angulate.
= 6.
Lupinus arbustus
Lupinus
CA; ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; BC
North America; Mexico; South America; Europe (Mediterranean); Africa [Introduced in Asia (China), s Africa, Atlantic Islands (Iceland), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
Lupinus arbustus is known from the Cascade and Klamath ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and the Great Basin area in California; Owyhee Desert in Idaho and Oregon; eastern Washington and western Montana; and western Juab and Tooele counties, Utah.
Lupinus arbustus is separated from the argenteus group by the presence of hairs on the corolla wings. Recognition of subspecies and varieties of this already complex species leads to precarious separation among taxa.
Lupinus variegatus A. Heller (1912, not Poiret 1814) is an illegitimate name that pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species ca. 270 (88 in the flora).
Most species of Lupinus occur in western North America and western South America. C. P. Smith (1944, 1938–1953) assigned North American lupines to subg. Lupinus and subg. Platycarpos S. Watson based on cotyledon structure (sessile versus petiolate) and 22 groups based on life span, flower arrangement, keel ciliation, and banner and wing pubescence, as well as some vegetative features.
The taxonomy of Lupinus is complicated. Thousands of names have been coined for lupines; circumscription is difficult, made problematic by the vast number of species recognized, then lumped and split in various ways by different taxonomists. Some authors (for example, D. B. Dunn 1955, 1959) discussed widespread hybridization in the genus. Some studies have indicated that gene flow and introgression through outcrossing in perennial species does occur (A. Liston et al. 1995). Perennial species have shown a preponderance of interbreeding groups that have resulted in gradients of characters.
Self-pollination is known to occur in annual species of Lupinus, which has resulted in the establishment of localized variants that have been recognized as distinct species. For example, L. affinis, L. guadalupensis, and L. spectabilis could easily be regarded as localized variants of L. nanus.
Phylogenetic analyses of molecular data for Lupinus included 50 North American species (C. S. Drummond et al. 2012). The species were assigned to three infrageneric lineages. One lineage included two species from Florida that have unifoliate leaves and 2n = 52. The second lineage included two 2n = 36 annual species from Texas that corresponds to group Subcarnosi sensu Smith. The third lineage included 44 species of western North American annuals and perennials having 2n = 48. This lineage comprised two sister clades: one clade of seven species with sessile cotyledons that corresponds to subg. Platycarpos, and a second clade of 37 species with petiolate cotyledons. Within the second clade, annual species are sister to the derived perennials (24 species) which have colonized and diversified in montane habitats. While these studies provide insight into the evolution and biogeography of Lupinus, they have not resulted in a phylogenetic classification, and have not clarified relationships among the western North American taxa.
Many species of Lupinus contain alkaloids, especially in their seeds, fruits, and young leaves, that are toxic to livestock, especially sheep (G. Boschin and D. Resta 2013). These include L. arboreus, L. latifolius, and L. leucophyllus (M. Wink et al. 1995).
Lupinus albus Linnaeus and L. luteus Linnaeus, both European species that are sometimes cultivated, were each collected once as waifs in Florida. Lupinus angustifolius Linnaeus, another European species that is sometimes cultivated, has been collected as a waif in British Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, and South Carolina.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaves appearing simple, unifoliolate. | → 2 |
2. Stipules 9–15 mm (occurring only on very new growth, abortive or early deciduous). | L. westianus |
2. Stipules 20–150 mm. | → 3 |
3. Banner spot white to cream, corollas light to deep blue, limb centrally white at base. | L. diffusus |
3. Banner spot maroon, corollas lilac to reddish purple or pink. | L. villosus |
1. Leaves palmately compound. | → 4 |
4. Herbs annual. | → 5 |
5. Cotyledons sessile, connate into a persistent disc or cup (if deciduous, leaving a circular scar); legumes usually ovoid, sometimes oblong; seeds 1 or 2(–6), usually tuberculate, ridged, or wrinkled, sometimes smooth. | → 6 |
6. Flowers in crowded or widely spaced whorls; bracts reflexed; upper keel margins ciliate near claw. | → 7 |
7. Stems hard, rigid; lower keel margins as densely ciliate as upper; leaflets usually pubescent adaxially, rarely glabrous; seeds dark brown, tuberculate. | L. luteolus |
7. Stems hollow at least near base; lower keel margins not as densely ciliate as upper or glabrous; leaflets glabrous adaxially; seeds usually mottled, ridged or smooth. | L. microcarpus |
6. Flowers usually spirally arranged or 1 or 2 (except L. malacophyllus crowded with proximal ones whorled becoming spirally arranged distally); bracts straight; keel margins glabrous. | → 8 |
8. Leaves basal; herbage usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely pubescent when young, rarely at anthesis; pedicels 3–5 mm. | L. odoratus |
8. Leaves cauline (often crowded near base); herbage sparsely pubescent to canescent or pilose; pedicles 0.5–3(–4) mm. | → 9 |
9. Racemes (1 or)2-flowered, axillary; free blades of stipules reduced, ca. 1 mm; leaflets 2–7 mm. | L. uncialis |
9. Racemes several–many-flowered, terminal; free blades of stipules well developed; leaflets 7–30 mm. | → 10 |
10. Herbage canescent, hairs 0.6–1 mm; legumes undulate, sides with short inflated hairs becoming scaly when dry. | L. shockleyi |
10. Herbage hairs appressed or spreading, more than 1 mm; legumes not obviously undulate, thinly pilose to coarsely hirsute. | → 11 |
11. Adaxial calyx lobe more than 1/2 as long as abaxial. | L. kingii |
11. Adaxial calyx lobe less than 1/2 as long as abaxial. | → 12 |
12. Proximalmost flowers whorled, becoming spirally arranged distally; w Nevada. | L. malacophyllus |
12. All flowers spirally arranged; Kansas westward to California (L. pusillus extending into Alberta and Saskatchewan). | → 13 |
13. Pedicels 0.3–1.5 mm; racemes dense; seeds smooth. | L. brevicaulis |
13. Pedicels to 3 mm; racemes usually elongate; seeds wrinkled or ridged. | → 14 |
14. Leaves crowded near base; legumes ovoid, adaxial margin not constricted between seeds. | L. flavoculatus |
14. Leaves well distributed along stems; legumes oblong, adaxial margin constricted between seeds. | L. pusillus |
5. Cotyledons petiolate, usually withering and deciduous; legumes oblong; seeds usually more than 2, smooth. | → 15 |
15. Lower (and often upper) keel margins ciliate near claw, glabrous near apex. | → 16 |
16. Flowers distinctly whorled; corollas usually blue-purple, rarely white, lavender, or pink. | L. succulentus |
16. Flowers spirally arranged; corollas yellow, white, pink to magenta, or blue to purple. | → 17 |
17. Racemes shorter than peduncles; banners yellow, wings usually pink, rarely white, keel petals white. | L. stiversii |
17. Racemes longer than peduncles; corollas usually yellow, white, dark pink, blue, or magenta, rarely pinkish. | → 18 |
18. Corollas golden yellow or white; pedicels becoming recurved. | L. citrinus |
18. Corollas usually blue or dark pink to magenta, rarely pinkish; pedicels not recurved. | → 19 |
19. Herbage with appressed, stiff, stinging hairs; leaflets 10–20 mm wide. | L. hirsutissimus |
19. Herbage without appressed, stiff, stinging hairs; leaflets 1.5–10 mm wide. | → 20 |
20. Petioles flat, leafletlike; keel stout, blunt, upper margins ciliate from claw to middle. | L. truncatus |
20. Petioles not flat or leafletlike; keel pointed, upper margins usually glabrous (except L. sparsiflorus often ciliate near claw). | → 21 |
21. Pedicels 5–9 mm; bracts 10–15 mm, longer than buds. | L. benthamii |
21. Pedicels 2–4 mm; bracts 3–8 mm, shorter than to slightly longer than buds. | → 22 |
22. Leaflets 5–10 mm wide, glabrous adaxially; corollas dark pink to magenta. | L. arizonicus |
22. Leaflets 2–4 mm wide, pubescent adaxially at least near margins; corollas usually blue, rarely pinkish. | L. sparsiflorus |
15. Lower and upper keel margins glabrous near claw, upper margins ciliate near apex, or glabrous. | → 23 |
23. Flowers spirally arranged; keel margins glabrous. | → 24 |
24. Primary peduncles and lateral branches decumbent; coastal dunes in San Luis Obispo County, California. | L. nipomensis |
24. Primary peduncles erect, lateral branches sometimes tufted or spreading; Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah. | → 25 |
25. Pubescence of stems and petioles spreading; leaflets pubescent; Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah. | L. concinnus |
25. Pubescence of stems and petioles mostly appressed or ascending; leaflets sparsely pubescent or glabrous adaxially; Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. | → 26 |
26. Racemes 18–45 cm; trans-Pecos Texas. | L. havardii |
26. Racemes 2–12 cm; Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, c, e, s Texas. | → 27 |
27. Wing petals inflated; corollas pale blue-violet; calyx hairs becoming yellowish gray or brown on dried material; legumes yellowish gray- or brown-villous; Texas. | L. subcarnosus |
27. Wing petals flat; corollas usually dark blue, rarely white; calyx hairs silvery; legumes white silky-villous; Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas. | L. texensis |
23. Flowers whorled at some or all nodes; upper keel margins usually ciliate near apex (except L. pachylobus glabrous). | → 28 |
28. Banners longer than wide; pedicels 1–3.5 mm. | → 29 |
29. Legumes usually less than 0.6 cm wide; upper keel margins usually ciliate near apex; Arizona, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington. | L. bicolor |
29. Legumes 0.6–0.9 cm wide; upper keel margins glabrous; California, Washington. | L. pachylobus |
28. Banners wider than or equaling length; pedicels 2.5–8 mm. | → 30 |
30. Upper keel margins with a tooth near middle. | L. affinis |
30. Upper keel margins without a tooth. | → 31 |
31. Legumes less than 0.7 cm wide. | L. nanus |
31. Legumes 0.8–1 cm wide. | → 32 |
32. Pedicels 4–5 mm; herbage sparsely pubescent; San Clemente Island, California. | L. guadalupensis |
32. Pedicels 6–8 mm; herbage densely hairy; central Sierra Nevada foothills, California. | L. spectabilis |
4. Herbs or shrubs, usually perennial, rarely biennial. | → 33 |
33. Rhizomes present, patch forming; east of Rocky Mountains. | L. perennis |
33. Rhizomes usually not present, or if present (L. formosus) then west of Rocky Mountains. | → 34 |
34. Upper keel margins ciliate near claw or only from claw to middle (glabrous middle to tip). | → 35 |
35. Herbs annual, sometimes persisting, fleshy; racemes 15–25 cm; legumes. | → 3 |
3. 5–5 cm; plants of open or disturbed areas, roadbanks. | L. succulentus |
35. Herbs perennial, not fleshy; racemes 16–60 cm; legumes 2–4.5 cm; plants of moist areas, open woodlands. | L. latifolius |
34. Upper keel margins usually glabrous or ciliate throughout, or ciliate from middle to tip. | → 36 |
36. Calyx spur 1–3 mm. | → 37 |
37. Wings with dense hair patch outside near tip; leaflets strigose adaxially. | L. arbustus |
37. Wings glabrous; leaflets glabrous or hairy (but not strigose) adaxially. | L. argenteus |
36. Calyx not spurred or bulge or spur 0–1 mm. | → 38 |
38. Banners usually hairy abaxially (except usually glabrous in L. pratensis and L. sulphureus, best seen in bud). | → 39 |
39. Upper keel margins ± glabrous. | → 40 |
40. Subshrubs or shrubs, matted, 2–4 dm. | L. albifrons |
40. Shrubs or herbs, not matted, (2–)4–20 dm. | → 41 |
41. Shrubs; plants of coastal strands, dunes. | L. chamissonis |
41. Perennial herbs; plants of volcanic or dry soils, pine forests, Great Basin or riparian scrub, coniferous forests. | → 42 |
42. Adaxial surface of leaflets glabrous or pubescent and green. | → 43 |
43. Corollas usually pale yellow to orange-yellow, sometimes white; bracts ± persistent. | L. angustiflorus |
43. Corollas usually purple, sometimes pink or white; bracts deciduous. | L. apertus |
42. Adaxial surface of leaflets tomentose, pubescent, or villous, hairs silvery. | → 44 |
44. Corollas usually yellow; herbs 2–5 dm. | L. dalesiae |
44. Corollas creamy yellow to pale yellow, or lavender to blue; herbs 5–9 dm. | → 45 |
45. Corollas lavender to blue; stem hairs short-silky; elevation 1500–3000 m. | L. elatus |
45. Corollas creamy yellow to pale yellow; stems long-villous; elevation 2500–4000 m. | L. padrecrowleyi |
39. Upper keel margins usually ciliate. | → 46 |
46. Subshrubs or shrubs. | → 47 |
47. Raceme rachises deciduous, 8–30 cm; petioles 2–4 cm; chaparral, foothill woodlands, cismontane California; 0–1500 m. | L. albifrons |
47. Raceme rachises persistent, 10–70 cm; petioles 4–10 cm; deserts, transmontane California; (700–)1200–2700 m. | L. excubitus |
46. Perennial herbs (sometimes subshrubs in L. breweri). | → 48 |
48. Leaflets 10–30 mm wide. | → 49 |
49. Corollas yellow; San Gabriel Mountains, California. | L. peirsonii |
49. Corollas usually ± purple to violet or light blue, rarely pink or pale yellow; British Columbia to San Luis Obispo County, California, eastward to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. | → 50 |
50. Bracts persistent; British Columbia to Klamath Ranges and Modoc Plateau, California, eastward to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. | L. leucophyllus |
50. Bracts deciduous; Inner North Coast Ranges and Santa Lucia Mountains, California. | → 51 |
51. Peduncles 13–20 cm; leaflets long spreading-hairy; corollas light blue, pink, or pale yellow; Santa Lucia Mountains, California. | L. cervinus |
51. Peduncles 8–15 cm; leaflets densely silky; corollas purple to violet; Inner North Coast Ranges, California. | L. sericatus |
48. Leaflets 2–10(–17) mm wide. | → 52 |
52. Herbs to 2 dm. | → 53 |
53. Flowers in dense, crowded whorls; elevation 2000–3500 m. | L. breweri |
53. Flowers in few, separated whorls; elevation 1500–3000 m. | L. lapidicola |
52. Herbs or subshrubs 1–10(–15) dm. | → 54 |
54. Basal and cauline leaves present at flowering. | → 55 |
55. Bracts persistent; leaflets 30–80(–130) mm, pubescent adaxially. | → 56 |
56. Leaflets silvery. | L. leucophyllus |
56. Leaflets green. | L. pratensis |
55. Bracts deciduous or tardily deciduous; leaflets 10–35(–60) mm, glabrous or pubescent adaxially. | → 57 |
57. Corollas pale sulfur yellow, blue, or white. | L. sulphureus |
57. Corollas usually deep purple to light blue, sometimes violet, pink, or white, banner patch yellow to cream or absent. | → 58 |
58. Flowers (6–)9–12(–14) mm; herbs 2.5–4 dm; stems erect or ascending, clustered; proximal petioles (5–)7–9(–15) cm; leaflet hairs silky hairy, not tomentose or woolly. | L. argenteus |
58. Flowers 10–16 mm; herbs 2–3.5 dm; stems prostrate to matted; petioles 5–12 cm; leaflet hairs ± spreading, dense, tomentose to woolly. | L. grayi |
54. Basal leaves absent at flowering or, when present, then petioles less than 3 times as long as leaflets. | → 59 |
59. Banners not much reflexed-recurved beyond midpoint, this less than 3 mm proximal to apex; pedicels 1–2.5 mm. | L. argenteus |
59. Banners well reflexed-recurved at or proximal to midpoint, this 3.5–6 mm proximal to apex; pedicels 2–8 mm. | → 60 |
60. Herbs 1.5–3 dm; leaves cauline; leaflets 20–50 mm, silvery-silky adaxially. | L. obtusilobus |
60. Herbs 2–10 dm; leaves cauline and sometimes clustered at base; leaflets 15–60(–90) mm, silky-villous or tomentose to woolly adaxially. | → 61 |
61. Leaflets tomentose to woolly, hairs ± spreading, dense; flowers 10–15 mm; corollas bluish to purple; banner glabrous or hairy abaxially. | L. ludovicianus |
61. Leaflets usually silky; flowers 8–14(–18) mm; corollas pale purple to bright blue, sometimes yellowish or whitish; banner silky-hairy abaxially. | L. sericeus |
38. Banner usually glabrous abaxially (hairy in some varieties of L. albifrons, L. argenteus). | → 62 |
62. Subshrubs or shrubs. | → 63 |
63. Petioles greater than 3 cm; plants usually inland in California, Oregon. | → 64 |
64. Subshrubs or shrubs; stems decumbent to prostrate-ascending. | L. albifrons |
64. Shrubs; stems erect. | L. longifolius |
63. Petioles often 3 cm or less, rarely to 6 cm; plants of coastal bluffs, dunes, beaches in British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington. | → 65 |
65. Shrubs, usually 5–20 dm; stems ascending or erect; immediate coast and more inland. | L. arboreus |
65. Subshrubs, 2–5 dm; stems prostrate to decumbent; immediate coast. | L. littoralis |
62. Perennial herbs, rarely woody at base. | → 66 |
66. Leaflets glabrous or sparsely hairy adaxially, appearing green. | → 67 |
67. Upper keel margins glabrous. | → 68 |
68. Corollas pale or bright yellow to orange-yellow; California. | → 69 |
69. Bracts 2–7 mm; herbs 4–6 dm; corollas bright yellow to orange-yellow. | L. croceus |
69. Bracts 7–14 mm; herbs 6–9 dm; corollas pale yellow. | L. elmeri |
68. Corollas blue to purple, violet, lavender, pink, or white (may fade pale yellow to white in L. tracyi); widely distributed, including California. | → 70 |
70. Leaves basal and cauline. | → 71 |
71. Banners distinctly ruffled, markedly concave on lateral face; keel margins glabrous. | L. oreganus |
71. Banners smooth, not ruffled; keel margins ciliate. | L. polyphyllus |
70. Leaves cauline. | → 72 |
72. Flowers (11–)15–21 mm; Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. | L. nootkatensis |
72. Flowers 8–10(–12) mm; California and Oregon. | L. tracyi |
67. Upper keel margins ciliate (sometimes sparsely so in L. onustus). | → 73 |
73. Herbs greater than 3.5 dm; leaves all cauline, no leaves clustered at base. | → 74 |
74. Leaflets long-villous abaxially, glabrous or glabrate adaxially; petioles 2–10 cm; flowers (11–)15–21 mm; Alaska, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland), Nova Scotia. | L. nootkatensis |
74. Leaflets glabrous or partly glabrate; petioles 3–5 cm; flowers 12–16 mm; California to British Columbia 12–16 mm; California to British Columbia. | L. rivularis |
73. Herbs less than 3.5 dm; leaves basal and cauline, or cauline and clustered near base. | → 75 |
75. Herbs rhizomatous (from slender, underground rootstock); flowers 8–11 mm, bracts 3–4 mm; leaflets silky-hairy abaxially; California, s Oregon. | L. onustus |
75. Herbs not rhizomatous; flowers 9–20 mm; bracts (3–)4–14 mm; leaflets hairy abaxially but not silky-hairy; Alaska to Nunavut, southward to California, eastward to New Mexico. | → 76 |
76. Caudices subterranean; divisions rhizomelike; Colorado, n New Mexico, Utah. | L. polyphyllus |
76. Caudices superficial; divisions closely tufted; Alaska to Nunavut, southward to California, eastward to Colorado. | → 77 |
77. Largest leaflets 35–110 mm. | L. polyphyllus |
77. Largest leaflets 10–40(–50) mm. | → 78 |
78. Herbs 1–4 dm; Alaska and Canada. | L. arcticus |
78. Herbs (2–)3–6.5 dm; Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington. | L. polyphyllus |
66. Leaflets hairy, appearing greenish gray to silver adaxially. | → 79 |
79. Bracts usually persistent; racemes usually dense (except L. covillei loose, spirally arranged, sometimes whorled). | → 80 |
80. Leaflets 5–40 mm. | L. lepidus |
80. Leaflets (30–)40–110(–130) mm. | → 81 |
81. Leaves all cauline, leaflets villous, hairs greater than 1 mm; racemes loose (flowers whorled or spirally arranged); corollas light blue. | L. covillei |
81. Leaves basal and cauline, leaflets strigose, hairs less than 1 mm; racemes dense; corollas violet to dark blue. | L. pratensis |
79. Bracts usually ± deciduous (except L. covillei and L. kuschei); racemes ± open (spirally arranged or whorled). | → 82 |
82. Upper keel margins usually glabrous, sometimes ciliate. | → 83 |
83. Herbs or subshrubs, 0.5–2 dm; flowers 4–11 mm; keel ± straight. | → 84 |
84. Petioles 1–3(–4) cm; stems prostrate, forming mats; stipules 2–5 mm; pedicels 1–3(–4) mm; plants of subalpine to alpine montane forests; California, Nevada, Oregon. | L. breweri |
84. Petioles (2–)3–6(–8) cm; stems forming robust, dense tufts; stipules 6–11 mm; pedicels (2–)4–5 mm; plants of pumice gravel flats; California (Mono County). | L. duranii |
83. Herbs, (1.5–)2–15 dm; flowers (8–)9–18 mm; keel usually upcurved. | → 85 |
85. Stipules usually leaflike, lanceolate, green. | L. fulcratus |
85. Stipules not leaflike, setaceous, green to silvery. | → 86 |
86. Corollas usually yellow to orange-yellow, rarely lavender or violet. | → 87 |
87. Flowers 9–12 mm; corollas pale yellowish to lavender or violet; California, Oregon. | L. adsurgens |
87. Flowers 12–15 mm; corollas bright yellow to orange-yellow; California. | L. croceus |
86. Corollas usually blue, lavender, violet, purple, pink, rarely white or yellowish. | → 88 |
88. Leaves basal and cauline; plants of moist or wet places. | → 89 |
89. Flowers 10–13 mm; plants of sand dunes, roadsides, sandy woods; s Alaska to n British Columbia. | L. kuschei |
89. Flowers 9–15 mm; plants of moist to wet places; California. | L. polyphyllus |
88. Leaves cauline; plants of dry places. | → 90 |
90. Banners narrow, wings narrow, not covering keel tip. | L. albicaulis |
90. Banners ovate, wings wide, covering keel tip. | → 91 |
91. Leaflet blades green, sparsely to densely hairy. | → 92 |
92. Flowers 9–12 mm; California, Nevada, Oregon. | L. andersonii |
92. Flowers 13–16 mm; California. | L. hyacinthinus |
91. Leaflet blades gray-hairy to silvery-silky. | → 93 |
93. Herbs rhizomatous; plants usually of valleys, grasslands; elevation 0–1500 m. | L. formosus |
93. Herbs not rhizomatous; plants of mountains, forests; 500–3500 m. | → 94 |
94. Corollas white with banner patch turning tawny; seeds 7–11 mm; California (Anthony Peak, Mendocino County). | L. antoninus |
94. Corollas pale yellowish to lavender or violet and banner patch yellow to white, or lavender to blue and banner patch pale yellowish; seeds 4–6 mm; California, Oregon. | → 95 |
95. Leaflet blade adaxial surfaces appressed hairy to ± silky to dull green; bracts 2–8 mm; flowers 9–12 mm; corollas pale yellow to lavender or violet; California, Oregon. | L. adsurgens |
95. Leaflets blade adaxial surfaces densely silver-silky to woolly; bracts 6–11 mm; flowers 10–14 mm; corollas lavender to blue; California. | L. elatus |
82. Upper keel margins ciliate. | → 96 |
96. Herbs 0.1–3.5(–5) dm; stems usually ± prostrate to decumbent, rarely ascending. | → 97 |
97. Corollas pink; California (Humboldt and Trinity counties). | L. constancei |
97. Corollas purple, ± violet, lavender, rose, light blue, yellow, or white; Arizona, British Columbia, California. | → 98 |
98. Leaves cauline. | → 99 |
99. Leaflets 5–9; stems not weak; British Columbia to California. | L. littoralis |
99. Leaflets 3–5; stems weak; California (Marin, Monterey, Sonoma counties). | L. tidestromii |
98. Leaves usually basal (if cauline, then clustered near base). | → 100 |
100. Racemes 2–7 cm; banners ± pubescent adaxially. | L. lapidicola |
100. Racemes 10–23 cm; banners glabrous adaxially. | → 101 |
101. Racemes 10–16 cm; flowers 10–16 mm; leaflets tomentose-woolly; California. | L. grayi |
101. Racemes 6–23 cm; flowers 7–13 mm; leaflets villous-hirsute with long, spreading hairs; Arizona. | L. huachucanus |
96. Herbs (1–)2–15 dm; stems usually erect, ascending, or spreading, rarely decumbent. | → 102 |
102. Leaflets densely tomentose or woolly. | → 103 |
103. Stem hairs less than 1 mm, not sharp or stiff; petioles 5–12 cm; flowers 10–15 mm; California (San Louis Obispo County). | L. ludovicianus |
103. Some stem hairs 1–3 mm, sharp, stiff; petioles 6–30 cm; flowers 10–18 mm; California. | L. magnificus |
102. Leaflets sometimes densely hairy but not woolly. | → 104 |
104. Leaves clustered at or near base. | → 105 |
105. Corollas yellow. | L. peirsonii |
105. Corollas light blue, pink, pale yellow, purple, or violet. | → 106 |
106. Peduncles 13–20 cm; corollas light blue, pink, or pale yellow (often drying straw-colored). | L. cervinus |
106. Peduncles 8–15 cm; corollas purple to violet. | L. sericatus |
104. Some leaves cauline, spread along stems. | → 107 |
107. Flowers 5–8 mm. | L. argenteus |
107. Flowers 8–18 mm. | → 108 |
108. Leaflets 10–50 mm. | → 109 |
109. Herbs 1–4 dm; flowers 10–12 mm; California, Nevada, Oregon. | L. nevadensis |
109. Herbs 4–10 dm; flowers 12–15 mm; British Columbia to Alberta, southward to California, eastward to Utah and New Mexico. | → 110 |
110. Legumes 2 cm wide; Arizona, New Mexico. | L. neomexicanus |
110. Legumes 0.7–1 cm wide; British Columbia to Alberta, southward to California, ne Nevada, s Utah. | L. polyphyllus |
108. Leaflets 30–120(–150) mm. | → 111 |
111. Corollas usually bright yellow, rarely pale purple. | L. sabineanus |
111. Corollas blue. | → 112 |
112. Herbs strigose to shaggy-pubescent; leaves yellow-green, leaflets 5–11 mm wide; proximal petioles 5–10 cm; bracts 7–15 mm, persistent; California. | L. covillei |
112. Herbs puberulent or hairy; leaves green; bracts 4–10 mm, semideciduous; California, New Mexico. | → 113 |
113. Leaflets 2–5 mm wide; proximal petioles (3–)5–14 cm; California (Rock Creek to Yosemite National Park). | L. gracilentus |
113. Leaflets 5–13 mm wide; proximal petioles 5–7 cm; New Mexico (Sacramento and White mountains). | L. sierrae-blancae |
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
