Lupinus littoralis
seashore lupine
prostrate to decumbent, branched, not weak, from woody base.
cauline, often appearing clustered near base first year;
stipules 7–16 mm;
petiole 2–10 cm;
leaflets 5–9, blades 15–35 × 3–9 mm, adaxial surface pubescent.
± open, 6–16 cm;
flowers whorled or not.
4–12 cm;
bracts deciduous, 4–7 mm.
4–12 mm.
10–16 mm;
calyx bulge or spur 0–1 mm, abaxial lobe 3-toothed or entire, 8–9 mm, adaxial lobe 2-toothed, 7–8 mm;
corolla blue to lilac, white, yellow, rose, or purple (sometimes on same plant), banner patch whitish or yellow, or absent, banner glabrous abaxially, lower keel margins glabrous, adaxial margin ciliate.
3–4 cm, hairy.
deciduous, petiolate.
7–12.
Lupinus littoralis
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Lupinus littoralis is a prostrate perennial that grows on the ocean bluffs and dunes of western North America. It hybridizes with L. arboreus (K. S. Wear 1998) and probably L. rivularis. It can be distinguished from L. tidestromii by the latter having three leaflets on some leaves and weak stems.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Flowers 10–13 mm; corollas blue to lilac, except banner patch whitish; roots bright yellow; petioles less than 2 times as long as leaflet blades, 3–5 cm; British Columbia to Mendocino County, California. | var. littoralis |
1. Flowers 11–16 mm; corollas white, yellow, rose, or purple (often on same plant); roots not yellow; petioles 2 times as long as leaflet blades, 4–10 cm; Sonoma to San Luis Obispo counties, California. | var. variicolor |
- 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
