''Lupinus chamissonis'' is a species of

lupin ''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 ...

e known by the common name Chamisso bush lupine. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, where it is known from most of the length of the coastline. It grows in

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

and other immediate coastal habitat.

Description

''Lupinus chamissonis'' is a spreading, bushy

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

growing tall. Each palmate leaf is made up of 5 to 9 leaflets up to long. The herbage is coated in silvery hairs. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

bears whorls of flowers each about one to long. Each flower is light purple to blue with a yellow spot on its banner. The fruit is a hairy

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

pod long.

References

External links

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Calflora Database: ''Lupinus chamissonis'' (Chamisso bush lupine, Dune bush lupine)Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Lupinus chamissonis''''Lupinus chamissonis'' - U.C. Photo gallery
chamissonis Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Adelbert von Chamisso Taxa named by Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Lupinus-stub