Lupinus grayi
Lupinus grayi is a species of lupine known by the common name Sierra lupine. It is endemic to California,[1] where its distribution extends the length of the Sierra Nevada and its foothills and includes the Tehachapi Mountains.
| Lupinus grayi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Lupinus |
| Species: | L. grayi |
| Binomial name | |
| Lupinus grayi | |
It is a common plant of the mountain forests, where it sometimes carpets meadows with its woolly green herbage and purple flower spikes. This is a low, prostrate perennial herb forming spreading mats 20 or 30 centimeters high. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 11 leaflets up to 3.5 centimeters long.
The inflorescence bears dense whorls of flowers each just over a centimeter long. Each flower is purple or blue with a yellow or reddish patch on the banner. The fruit is a hairy legume pod which is up to 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) in length.
References
- "Sierra lupine". USDA. Plants Profile. Retrieved September 1, 2009.