LUPINE
LUPINE
GENESIS NAME: Lupinus Sp.
DISTRIBUTION: Alaska , California , Connecticut , Idaho , Massachusetts , Maryland , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , Montana , New Hampshire , Nevada , New York , Oregon , Vermont , Washington , Wisconsin
SEASON: April thru July
MEDICAL USE: Yellow lupin is an herb. The seeds and other parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, people take yellow lupin for urinary tract disorders, fluid retention, and worms. Yellow lupin is sometimes applied directly to the skin for skin ulcers.
POISONOUS: Seeds can be toxic both to livestock and humans, especially in larger quantity.
Lupines are found in a wide range of habitats. All lupines share the characteristic leaf shape seen in the accompanying picture. All parts of lupines are toxic, especially spring foliage, flowers, and fruits. Lupine consumption by pregnant females can cause birth defects. Documented cases show cows and goats that eat lupines can pass toxins through their milk. Deformities in puppies and human babies have been linked to lupine contaminated milk consumed by pregnant females. Death from lupine poisoning is rare among humans but livestock that eat lupine in great quantities may die.
Most lupins are of the 'bitter' type that have a high concentration of a toxic alkaloid called 'lupanine'. The symptoms of poisoning are numerous including dilated pupils, diziness and confusion. To prepare these lupins, it is necessary to boil and soak the lupin seeds before cooking to leach out the toxins.
EDIBILITY: No, blue Lupine is poisonous.
FEATURES: Flowers form a spike of up to 80 purple to blue, asymmetrical flowers. There can be one to several spikes per plant, and each spike can reach 8 to 16 in (20 to 40 cm). Each flower has five petals, is ½ to ¾ in long (1.5 to 2 cm) with a small yellow or white patch that turns red-purple with age. Some ornamentals may have pink or magenta petals. Flowers are typical of those in the Pea family, with a butterfly like corolla. There is a banner petal at the top, with two lateral wing petals, and two petals fused into a keel are set between the wing petals. In the center, there are 10 stamens, 5 with short filaments and long anthers, and 5 with long filaments and short anthers. Flowers bloom from May to August.
Fruits
The fruit is a dry hairy capsule (shaped like a pea pod) that turns dark brown and splits when it matures. The fruits are usually clustered towards the tip of the stem, 1 to 2 in (2 to 4 cm) long. Pods open explosively when ripe, and seeds are spread a short distance.
LEAVES: Any of numerous plants of the genus Lupinus of the pea family, having palmately compoundleaves and colorful flowers grouped in spikes or racemes. Some species are cultivated asornamentals and others for their edible seeds. Palmately (fan-shaped) compound (divided) leaves, 11 to 17 oblong leaflets. The tops of the leaves are usually sparsely hairy.
FRUITS: The fruit is a dry hairy capsule (shaped like a pea pod) that turns dark brown and splits when it matures. The fruits are usually clustered towards the tip of the stem, 1 to 2 in (2 to 4 cm) long. Pods open explosively when ripe, and seeds are spread a short distance.
DISTRIBUTION: Alaska , California , Connecticut , Idaho , Massachusetts , Maryland , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , Montana , New Hampshire , Nevada , New York , Oregon , Vermont , Washington , Wisconsin
SEASON: April thru July
MEDICAL USE: Yellow lupin is an herb. The seeds and other parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Despite serious safety concerns, people take yellow lupin for urinary tract disorders, fluid retention, and worms. Yellow lupin is sometimes applied directly to the skin for skin ulcers.
POISONOUS: Seeds can be toxic both to livestock and humans, especially in larger quantity.
Lupines are found in a wide range of habitats. All lupines share the characteristic leaf shape seen in the accompanying picture. All parts of lupines are toxic, especially spring foliage, flowers, and fruits. Lupine consumption by pregnant females can cause birth defects. Documented cases show cows and goats that eat lupines can pass toxins through their milk. Deformities in puppies and human babies have been linked to lupine contaminated milk consumed by pregnant females. Death from lupine poisoning is rare among humans but livestock that eat lupine in great quantities may die.
Most lupins are of the 'bitter' type that have a high concentration of a toxic alkaloid called 'lupanine'. The symptoms of poisoning are numerous including dilated pupils, diziness and confusion. To prepare these lupins, it is necessary to boil and soak the lupin seeds before cooking to leach out the toxins.
EDIBILITY: No, blue Lupine is poisonous.
FEATURES: Flowers form a spike of up to 80 purple to blue, asymmetrical flowers. There can be one to several spikes per plant, and each spike can reach 8 to 16 in (20 to 40 cm). Each flower has five petals, is ½ to ¾ in long (1.5 to 2 cm) with a small yellow or white patch that turns red-purple with age. Some ornamentals may have pink or magenta petals. Flowers are typical of those in the Pea family, with a butterfly like corolla. There is a banner petal at the top, with two lateral wing petals, and two petals fused into a keel are set between the wing petals. In the center, there are 10 stamens, 5 with short filaments and long anthers, and 5 with long filaments and short anthers. Flowers bloom from May to August.
Fruits
The fruit is a dry hairy capsule (shaped like a pea pod) that turns dark brown and splits when it matures. The fruits are usually clustered towards the tip of the stem, 1 to 2 in (2 to 4 cm) long. Pods open explosively when ripe, and seeds are spread a short distance.
LEAVES: Any of numerous plants of the genus Lupinus of the pea family, having palmately compoundleaves and colorful flowers grouped in spikes or racemes. Some species are cultivated asornamentals and others for their edible seeds. Palmately (fan-shaped) compound (divided) leaves, 11 to 17 oblong leaflets. The tops of the leaves are usually sparsely hairy.
FRUITS: The fruit is a dry hairy capsule (shaped like a pea pod) that turns dark brown and splits when it matures. The fruits are usually clustered towards the tip of the stem, 1 to 2 in (2 to 4 cm) long. Pods open explosively when ripe, and seeds are spread a short distance.
DESCRIPTION:
Although the silver (or silvery) lupine is found in most states west of the Mississippi River, the variety shown here is restricted to the mountains of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Lupine, as other legumes, enhances soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into a useful form. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria reside in nodules along the roots., converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds the plants can use, thus they increase soil fertility in areas where nitrogen is limited.
Any of numerous plants of the genus Lupinus of the pea family, having palmately compoundleaves and colorful flowers grouped in spikes or racemes. Some species are cultivated asornamentals and others for their edible seeds.
The lupine gets its name from the Latin word for wolf - lupus. It was once thought that the lupine plant absorbed or "wolfed up" all the mineral content from the soil. We know know that the plant actually is a nitrogen fixer. Its roots have nodes with colonies of nitrogen fixing bacteria that help it survive in nutrient poor soil. Lupine actually deposit nitrogen into the soil!
Habitat..Open sunny places on sandy loamy soil. In California plants generally occur below 7500 ft (2286 m) in moist sites. Prefers sun to partial shade in moist, cool soils. Native to Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, California and Wyoming, Big-leaf lupine was introduced in the Midwest and escaped cultivation.
Lupine, as other legumes, enhances soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into a useful form. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria reside in nodules along the roots., converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds the plants can use, thus they increase soil fertility in areas where nitrogen is limited.
Any of numerous plants of the genus Lupinus of the pea family, having palmately compoundleaves and colorful flowers grouped in spikes or racemes. Some species are cultivated asornamentals and others for their edible seeds.
The lupine gets its name from the Latin word for wolf - lupus. It was once thought that the lupine plant absorbed or "wolfed up" all the mineral content from the soil. We know know that the plant actually is a nitrogen fixer. Its roots have nodes with colonies of nitrogen fixing bacteria that help it survive in nutrient poor soil. Lupine actually deposit nitrogen into the soil!
Habitat..Open sunny places on sandy loamy soil. In California plants generally occur below 7500 ft (2286 m) in moist sites. Prefers sun to partial shade in moist, cool soils. Native to Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, California and Wyoming, Big-leaf lupine was introduced in the Midwest and escaped cultivation.
PHOTO GALLERY
CLOSE UP OF LUPINE AND THEIR LEAVES.
THE LEAVES COLLECT WATER FROM RAIN, SNOW, AND DEW.
AGING LUPINE
FIELDS OF LUPINE BLANKET SOME AREAS
AGING LUPINE
ON THE TRAIL TO LUNCH PEAK & MOUNT PEND ORIELLE
THE LEAD IN IMAGE IS ALSO FROM LUNCH PEAK
