| Lupinus lemmonii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Lupinus |
| Species: | L. lemmonii |
| Binomial name | |
| Lupinus lemmonii C.P.Sm, 1939 | |
Lupinus lemmonii, commonly known asLemmon's lupine,[2] is a species ofperennial plant in the family ofFabaceae that is native toArizona.[3]
Lupinus lemmonii grows up to 1 meter tall. Additionally, the colour of its flowers range from blue to purple or sometimes lavender.[4] The stems arestrigose below butglabrous orglabrescent above. The hairs on the stems andpetioles areappressed. The alternate leaves arepalmately compound with 5 to 10leaflets. The leaflets are linear oroblanceolate, between 2 and 7 centimeters long, and either very acute or obtuse at the tips. The leaflets have silvery, silky hair on both sides. The flower's color ranges from light to dark blue or purple. The flowers are bilabiate and between 8 and 10 millimeters long. Thepetals banner has long, soft, silky hairs on the center of the back. Thecalyx is gibbous at the base and sometimes short-spurred on the upper side at the base. Thestamens aremonadelphous. The anthers are dimorphic, are alternately elongate and short, and are born in dense terminalracemes. The racemes are between 2 and 8 centimeters long. The fruits are flatted pods, between 2 and 3.5 centimeters long, and are usually constricted between the seeds. There are between 3 and 6 seeds.[5] The bloom period is between the months of June, July, August, and September.[2]
This species can be differentiated from the similarLupinus argenteus by distribution alone, asL. lemmonii only occurs in the southern portions of the state at lower elevations. These two species can be mistaken for each other, but if there is silky hair on both sides, it is most likelyL. lemmonii. It also looks similar toLupinus palmeri, which can be differentiated by appressed hairs, as onL. palmeri stems and leaves are not appressed.[5]
