Lupinus shockleyi, commonly known as the desert lupine and the purple desert lupine, is a species of flowering annual plant the genus Lupinus (lupines) in the legume family Fabaceae. Native to southern California, southern Nevada, and northwestern Arizona, it can be found in the Mojave Desert. Standing at up to 30cm (12in) tall, L.shockleyi blooms from March to May with dark blue-purple petals on flowers which spiral around its inflorescence. It is a two-seeded plant, with seeds that feature a wrinkly texture.
Lupinus shockleyi is a species of flowering annualherbacious plant in the genus Lupinus (lupines) in the legume family Fabaceae.[1] The species is canescent, meaning that it is covered in fine white hairs. It grows to heights between 5cm (2.0in) and 30cm (12in). The leaves, which are crowded at the plant's base, are cauline (attached to the main stem) by petioles which range between 4cm (1.6in) and 12cm (4.7in). There are between 8 and 12 leaflets to a petiole, with each measuring between 10mm (0.39in) to 30mm (1.2in) long and 4mm (0.16in) and 10mm (0.39in) wide.[2]
The species blooms from March to May in its native range. An inflorescence can range between 2cm (0.79in) and 6cm (2.4in) long, featuring spiraling flowers. The flowers measure between 4.5mm (0.18in) and 6mm (0.24in) across. The flower petals are a dark blue-purple color.[2] On legumes, flowers have a typical petal arrangement where a large top petal (the banner) grows outside of the other petals prior to the flower opening and is flanked by two lateral petals (the wings), below which are two more petals (the keel). This flower arrangement developed to facilitate pollination.[3] On L.shockleyi, the banner has yellow coloring and the keel takes a blunt shape.[2]
The species produces fruit that are between 1.5cm (0.59in) and 2cm (0.79in) long and between 8mm (0.31in) and 12mm (0.47in) wide. They have an ovate shape and take on a scaly texture when dry. A species is two-seeded, with seeds possessing a wrinkly texture.[2]
Commons names for L.shockleyi include "desert lupine" and "purple desert lupine".[2][6]
Distribution
Lupinus shockleyi is southern California (where it can be found in the Mojave Desert), southern Nevada, and northwestern Arizona. It primarily inhabits deserts and dry shrublands,[1] favoring open, sandy terrain. It is found at elevations below 2,000ft (610m) above sea level.[2][4]
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