E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. subsp. polyphyllus
large-leaved lupine (bigleaf lupine)
Fabaceae (Pea family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants
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Distribution of Lupinus polyphyllus subsp. polyphyllus
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a branched, somewhat rhizomatous stem-base; stems erect, up to 1.5 m tall, generally unbranched, cylindric-hollow at the base, usually nearly glabrous but sometimes soft- or stiff-hairy.
Leaves:
Basal (a few) and alternate along the stem, palmately compound, the stalks of the basal leaves often much longer than those of the stem leaves; leaflets 9 to 17, elliptic-oblanceolate, pointed at the tip, 3-12 cm long, glabrous above, sparsely stiff-hairy below.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a dense, stalked, terminal raceme, up to 40 cm long, of whorled or somewhat scattered, pea-like flowers; corollas bluish to violet, glabrous, 11-16 mm long, the banner nearly circular and slightly shorter than the wings; calyces about equally 2-lipped, both lips entire or minutely toothed.
Fruits:
Pods, curved, densely long-soft-hairy, 3-5 cm long; seeds 6 to 10, greyish with dark mottling.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Moist to mesic meadows, riverbars, streambanks, seashores, clearings, roadsides, glades and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in SW, SC and WC BC, less frequent northward; N to SE AK and S to ID and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is cool temperate & cool mesothermal.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Lupinus pallidipes A. Heller
Lupinus polyphyllus var. pallidipes (A. Heller) C.P. Sm.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References