Lupinus latifolius
Lupinus diffusus
broad-leaf lupine
Oak Ridge lupine, skyblue lupine
erect or spreading, branched or unbranched.
decumbent, spreading, many branched.
cauline, basal when present withered by anthesis;
stipules 5–10 mm;
petiole 4–20 cm;
leaflets 5–11, blades 40–100 × 6–24 mm, abaxial surface ± hairy, adaxial surface glabrous or hairy.
basal, clustered;
stipules 20–150 mm;
petiole 2.5–10 cm;
leaflet 1, blades 40–120 × 18–33 mm, adaxial surface densely sericeous or strigulose.
16–60 cm;
flowers whorled or spirally arranged.
8–30 cm;
flowers whorled.
8–20 cm;
bracts deciduous, 8–12 mm.
3–4 cm;
bracts deciduous, 4–8 mm.
2–12 mm.
1–4 mm.
8–18 mm;
calyx abaxial lobe entire or notched, 4–8 mm, adaxial lobe entire or 2-toothed, 5–10 mm;
corolla blue or purple to white, banner patch usually white to yellowish turning purple, banner glabrous abaxially, lower keel margins usually ciliate, adaxial margin ciliate from claw to middle.
11–15 mm;
calyx abaxial lobe entire, 5–10 mm, adaxial lobe 3-fid with 2 linear laterals, 4–8 mm;
corolla light to deep blue, limb centrally white at base, banner spot white to cream, glabrous abaxially, keel glabrous.
2–4.5 cm, ± densely hairy.
3–5 cm, appressed villous to sericeous.
deciduous, petiolate.
deciduous, petiolate.
6–10, mottled dark brown, 3–4 mm.
4–7, gray mottled black, 4 mm.
Lupinus latifolius
Lupinus diffusus
Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).
Various authors have differed in their circumscriptions of Lupinus latifolius. For example, P. K. Vaughn and D. B. Dunn (1977) recognized three varieties, D. Isely (1998) recognized six varieties, and C. L. Hitchcock et al. (1955–1969, vol. 3) recognized three varieties. The most conservative approach has been taken here by recognizing taxa that have the clearest characteristics, but that approach might not reflect phylogeny. Research is needed to clarify the varieties and particularly the relationships among L. latifolius and L. arcticus, L. perennis, and L. polyphyllus.
Lupinus latifolius is known to cause birth defects in livestock (R. F. Keeler et al. 1977).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Lupinus diffusus differs from the other unifoliolate species in its much shorter pubescence and banners with a white eyespot. Lupinus cumulicola represents peninsular Florida forms that have strongly ascending foliose stems and sometimes broader leaves than usual. Some plants of L. diffusus from southern Florida have a vesture of hairs that approach those of L. villosus in length.
Lupinus diffusus seeds are known to be toxic (D. J. Wagstaff 2008).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Flowers 8–14 mm. | → 2 |
2. Flowers 10–14(–16) mm. | var. latifolius |
2. Flowers 8–10(–12) mm. | var. viridifolius |
1. Flowers 12–18 mm. | → 3 |
3. Stems densely hairy, not hollow; San Francisco Bay area, California. | var. dudleyi |
3. Stems glabrate or sparsely strigose, hollow; sw California or n Oregon to British Columbia. | → 4 |
4. Herbs 5–20 dm, caudex often unbranched; Arizona, California. | var. parishii |
4. Herbs 2.5–6 dm, caudex branched; n Oregon to British Columbia. | var. subalpinus |
- 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
