Lupinus arizonicus (Arizona lupine)

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Lupinus arizonicus (S. Watson) S. Watson

Arizona lupine

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Lupinus	“Wolf,” because of the mistaken belief that lupines ravage land they grow on; in fact, they contribute nutrients
Species	arizonicus	Of or from Arizona

About plant names...

Arizona lupines are natives of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in the American southwest and northwestern Mexico. They prefer washes, sandy flats, and hillsides, at elevations below 3500' (1 km).

Plants: 4-20" (10-50 cm) high, topped by a hairy spike of flowers.

Leaves: Leaves are palmate, comprised of 6-10 narrow leaflets, like spokes on a wheel, on petioles (stems) up to 3" (7.6 cm) long. The spokes of the wheel are thought to gather rainwater, concentrating it at the center of the wheel in order to absorb every precious bit. Leaflets are ⅜-1½" (1-4 cm) long and 1¾-4" (5-10 cm) wide, so each palmate leaf cluster is up to about 3" (8 cm) in diameter. Leaves may be curled along the edges, resembling pea pod halves in shape. Upper leaf surfaces are hairless, while lower surfaces have sparse hairs.

Flowers: Flowers are large spikes filled with striking dark pink to magenta flowers that age to purplish blue. They spiral around the stem. Each flower is ¼-⅜" (7-10 mm) long, and is supported by a small, hairy bract. The upper petal has a yellow spot, changing to red after the flower is pollinated. Flowers appear from March to May.

Fruits: pods ⅜-¾" (1-2 cm) × ⅛" (5 mm), often on one side of the flowerhead, covered with coarse hairs. Upon ripening, seed pods dry and explode to scatter seed.

Online References:

Www.americansouthwest.net

Www.desertwildflower.com

DesertUSA: Exploring the Southwest

Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert

The Sonoran Desert Naturalist

The Jepson Manual

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 6 × 8" (16 × 19 cm)

Lupinus arizonicus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 8 × 12" (20 × 31 cm)

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 6 × 10" (16 × 24 cm)

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 6 × 9" (16 × 21 cm)

Range:

About this map...