Lupinus perennis

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Lupinus perennis
Lupinus perennis in flower.jpg
At Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County, Illinois
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Lupinus
Subgenus: Lupinus subg. Platycarpos
Species:
L. perennis
Binomial name
Lupinus perennis

Lupinus perennis (also wild perennial lupine, wild lupine, sundial lupine, blue lupine, Indian beet, or old maid's bonnets) is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. [2] [3]

Contents

Description

The leaves are palmately compound with 7–11 leaflets arranged radially. Their stalks are numerous, erect, striated, and slightly pubescent. The leaflets are obovate, with a blunted apex or pointed spear, and sparsely pubescent. [3] Petioles are longer than leaflets; stipules are very small.

In Pepin County, Wisconsin Wild lupine in grass.jpg
In Pepin County, Wisconsin

The inflorescence is long, sparsely flowered, sometimes almost verticillate. Flowers color can be white, blue, purple, or pink, but are most often blue or bluish purple. The calyx is silky, without bractlets; its upper labium with a protuberant basis, is integral or weakly emarginate, the lower one is integral, almost twice longer than upper. Floral bracts are styliform, shorter than the calyx, early falling. The corolla is three times longer than the calyx. The vexillum is shorter than the wings. The carina is weakly ciliate. Pods are yellow-grayish-brown, with straight lines, necklace-shaped, short and closely hirsute, easy shattered, with 5–6 seeds. Seed is oval with a light hilum.[ citation needed ]

The germination of this plant isn't too selective over day and night as both still occur equivalently. Researchers found that the seeds of L. perennis require scarification to germinate and ideal temperatures range from 24–29C (75–85F). [4]

Lupinus perennis is commonly mistaken for the Western species Lupinus polyphyllus (large-leaved lupine), which is commonly planted along roadsides. [5] [6] L. polyphyllus is not native to eastern North America, but has naturalized in areas in the upper Midwest and New England. [5] [7] L. polyphyllus has 11–17 leaflets that can reach 13 cm (5 in) in length, while L. perennis has 7–11 leaflets which only reach around 5 cm (2 in) in length. [5]

Distribution and habitat

It is widespread in the eastern part of the USA (from Texas and Florida to Maine) and Minnesota, Canada (southern Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador), and on the coasts of the Arctic Ocean, where it grows in sandy areas such as dunes and savannas. [8] [9]

Ecology

Lupinus perennis (blue flower) and Caltha palustris shown in a plate from Studies of Plant Life in Canada (1906) Marsh marigold and wild lupine.jpg
Lupinus perennis (blue flower) and Caltha palustris shown in a plate from Studies of Plant Life in Canada (1906)

Lupinus perennis is used as foodplants by the caterpillars of several Lepidoptera. Among these are the clouded sulphur, eastern tailed blue, gray hairstreak, silvery blue, wild indigo duskywing, frosted elfin ( Callophrys irus ), the eastern Persius duskywing ( Erynnis persius persius ), [10] and the rare and endangered Karner blue (Plebejus samuelis), whose caterpillars feed only on the lupine leaves. [11] Leaves that have been fed on by Karner blues have distinctive transparent areas where the larvae have selectively eaten only the green, fleshy parts.

Conservation

The lupine has been declining in number and range since the Industrial Revolution. It is estimated that it has declined in number by about 90% since 1900. This decline has in turn been deemed one of the primary causes of the decline of the Karner blue butterfly. The main threats to Lupinus perennis are thought to be habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and poor management. Currently it is considered "rare" in Pennsylvania, a species of special concern in Rhode Island, threatened in Iowa, Maryland, and New Hampshire; [2] it is endangered in Vermont, and is extirpated from Maine. [2] [9] [12]

Human development has eliminated a large portion of its viable habitat. Remaining habitat is often fragmented, which is problematic for the lupine because it limits the range over which it can reproduce. Viable lupine habitat is often difficult to maintain because it flourishes after fires and other forms of disturbance. [13] One reason this occurs is that lupine seed coats are so tough that only pressure changes due to rapid heating or abrasion are strong enough to allow water to penetrate and start germination.[ citation needed ] Moreover, fires, feeding by large ungulates, and mowing can improve habitat quality for established lupines by changing soil quality, vegetative structure, and leaf litter depth.[ citation needed ]

Impacts of primary habitat loss have led to decreasing populations which are small and scattered which makes it harder for pollination to occur. Changes in land management such as prescribed burning, mowing, and mechanical thinning, would help protect and promote this plant and other plant diversity. Further research is still needed for future interventions. [14]

Related Research Articles

<i>Lupinus polyphyllus</i> Species of legume

Lupinus polyphyllus, the large-leaved lupine, big-leaved lupine, many-leaved lupine, blue-pod lupine, or, primarily in cultivation, garden lupin, is a species of lupine (lupin) native to western North America from southern Alaska and British Columbia and western Wyoming, and south to Utah and California. It commonly grows along streams and creeks, preferring moist habitats.

<i>Lupinus</i> Genus of leguminous plants

Lupinus, commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur in North Africa and the Mediterranean. They are widely cultivated, both as a food source and as ornamental plants, but are invasive to some areas.

<i>Acmispon glaber</i> Species of shrub

Acmispon glaber is a perennial subshrub in the family Fabaceae. The plant is a pioneer species found in dry areas of California, Arizona, and Mexico. It is commonly found in many areas including chaparral, coastal sand and roadsides at elevations below 1500 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karner blue</span> Endangered species of butterfly in northeastern United States

The Karner blue is an endangered species of small blue butterfly found in some Great Lakes states, small areas of New Jersey, the Capital District region of New York, and southern New Hampshire in the United States. The butterfly, whose life cycle depends on the wild blue lupine flower, was classified as an endangered species in the United States in 1992.

<i>Lupinus sulphureus</i> Species of legume

Lupinus sulphureus is a species of lupine, a flowering plant of the legume family, Fabaceae.

<i>Lupinus texensis</i> Species of lupine

Lupinus texensis, the Texas bluebonnet or Texas lupine is a species of lupine found in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. With other related species of lupines also called bluebonnets, it is the state flower of Texas.

Lupinus latifolius var. barbatus, the Klamath lupine, sometimes also called bearded lupine, is a very rare plant of the Western U.S., known only from northeastern California and southeastern Oregon. It is a rare variety of the generally common species L. latifolius, which is a member of the bean family.

<i>Lupinus succulentus</i> Species of legume

Lupinus succulentus is a species of lupine known by the common names hollowleaf annual lupine, arroyo lupine, and succulent lupine.

<i>Erynnis persius</i> Species of butterfly

Erynnis persius, commonly known as Persius duskywing, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae that occurs in North America. It is a threatened species in Michigan and is protected by law. The subspecies Erynnis persius persius is listed as endangered in the Connecticut by state authorities.

<i>Lupinus brevicaulis</i> Species of legume

Lupinus brevicaulis is a species of lupine known by the common names shortstem lupine and sand lupine. It is native to the southwestern United States, including Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, where it grows in many types of sandy habitat.

<i>Lupinus latifolius</i> Species of legume

Lupinus latifolius is a species of lupine known by the common name broadleaf lupine. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California to New Mexico, where it is common and can be found in several types of habitat. There are several subtaxa, described as subspecies or varieties, some common and some rare. They vary in morphology. In general this plant is an erect perennial herb. It grows 30 centimeters to over two meters in height, in texture hairy to nearly hairless. Each palmate leaf is made up of several leaflets, those on larger plants up to 10 centimeters long. The inflorescence bears many flowers, sometimes in whorls. Each flower is one to two centimeters in length, purple to blue to white in color, the spot on its banner yellowish, pinkish, or white.

Lupinus saxosus is a species of lupine known by the common name rock lupine. It is native to eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, and the northeast corner of California,where it grows in sagebrush and other habitat. It may also be native to Idaho and Nevada.

<i>Erynnis baptisiae</i> Species of butterfly

Erynnis baptisiae, the wild indigo duskywing, is a species of butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in North America from southern Ontario and New England, west to central Nebraska, and south to Georgia, the Gulf Coast, and south-central Texas.

<i>Lupinus aridorum</i> Species of legume

Lupinus aridorum is a rare species of lupine known by the common name scrub lupine. It is endemic to Florida in the United States, where there were 10 known populations remaining in 2003. Fewer than 6000 individual plants were counted. It is threatened by the loss and degradation of its habitat. The scrub lupine is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Lupinus arcticus</i> Species of legume

Lupinus arcticus is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Arctic lupine or subalpine lupine. It is native to northwestern North America, where it occurs from Oregon north to Alaska and east to Nunavut. It is a common wildflower in British Columbia.

<i>Lupinus kuschei</i> Species of legume

Lupinus kuschei, the Yukon lupine, is a species of flowering plant from the order Fabales which can be found in Alaska and Western Canada.

<i>Lupinus hillii</i> Species of plant

Lupinus hillii, commonly known as Hill's lupine, is a species of lupine native to Arizona and some parts of New Mexico.

Lupinus mexicanus, also known as the Mexican lupin, is a species of lupine native to Mexico and introduced in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Some sources say it was introduced to India, too.

Lupinus prunophilus, commonly known as the hairy bigleaf lupine or chokecherry lupin, is a medium-sized herbaceous plant that grows in the Great Basin and other parts of the U.S. interior between the Sierra-Nevada and the Rockies. It is a close relative and very similar to Lupinus polyphyllus and is considered a subspecies by some botanists.

<i>Lupinus caudatus</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae

Lupinus caudatus is a widespread species of wildflower in genus Lupinus from western North America known by the common names tailcup lupin and spurred lupin. It is distinctive for the short spur on its purple-blue flowers, for which it is named. Because of its wide distribution and toxicity it commonly causes poisonings of susceptible livestock such as horses, cattle, and sheep, though it is eaten without harm by wild herbivores like deer and elk. It is generally found from the Coastal Ranges and Sierra Nevada Mountains in the west to the Rocky Mountains in the east.

References

  1. "Lupinus perennis L." ipni.org. International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  2. 1 2 3 USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Lupinus perennis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004). The ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum, p. 270.
  4. Wayne A. Mackay, Tim D. Davis, Daksha Sankhla, Don E. Riemenschneider; Factors Influencing Seed Germination of Lupinus perennis. Journal of Environmental Horticulture 1 December 1996; 14 (4): 167–169. doi: https://doi.org/10.24266/0738-2898-14.4.167
  5. 1 2 3 "Rare Plant Fact Sheet for Lupinus perennis". www.maine.gov. Maine Natural Areas Program. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  6. "Lupinus perennis: Similar Species". iNaturalist.org. Retrieved 12 June 2020. Based on 132 misidentifications on iNaturalist as of June 2020.
  7. 2014 county distribution map. Biota of North America Program. Accessed 12 June 2020.
  8. Hilty, John. "Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis)". illinoiswildflowers.info. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  9. 1 2 2014 county distribution map. Biota of North America Program. Accessed 12 June 2020.
  10. Eastern Persius duskywing, Species at Risk in Ontario
  11. The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press. United States Forest Service. (n.d.). Fire Effects Information System (FEIS): Lupinus perennis. Lupinus perennis. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/forb/lupper/all.html#FIRE%20ECOLOGY
  12. "Lupinus perennis". explorer.natureserve.org. NatureServe. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  13. United States Forest Service. (n.d.). Fire Effects Information System (FEIS): Lupinus perennis. Lupinus perennis. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/forb/lupper/all.html#FIRE%20ECOLOGY
  14. Petitta, I. R., López-Uribe, M. M., & Sabo, A. E. (Accepted/In press). Biology and management of wild lupine (Lupinus perennis L.): a case study for conserving rare plants in edge habitat. Plant Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-023-01371-9