''Lupinus excubitus'' is a species of lupine known as the grape soda lupine. Its common name refers to its sweet scent, which is said to be very reminiscent of

grape soda Grape drinks (also known as grape soda, grape pop, or purple drink in certain regions of the U.S.) are sweetened drinks with a grape flavor and a deep purple color. They may be carbonated (for example, Fanta) or not (Kool-Aid). ''Grapeade'' first ...

. This species and its variants are found in

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

, especially in

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 ...

and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, e.g.,

Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the Highest temperature recorded on Earth, hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the ...

and

Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is an American national park in southeastern California, east of San Bernardino and Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs, California, Palm Springs. It is named after the Joshua trees (''Yucca brevifolia'') native to t ...

s, and northwestern Mexico. Lupinus_excubitus_8181

Description

''Lupinus excubitus'' is a small shrub with gray-green foliage. The fan-shaped leaves are borne on the stem and may be clustered at the base. Generally covered with silvery hairs, each is made up of 7 to 10 narrow leaflets. The raceme inflorescence is a tall stalk of rich purple flowers, each with a bright yellow spot. The occasional variant has white

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s. The fruit is a silky legume pod up to in length containing mottled brown seeds. There are several named variants of this species, including: *''L. e.'' var. ''austromontanus'' - southern mountain lupine *''L. e.'' var. ''excubitus'' - grape soda lupine, Inyo bush lupine *''L. e.'' var. ''hallii'' - Hall's bush lupine *''L. e.'' var. ''johnstonii'' - interior bush lupine *''L. e.'' var. ''medius'' - Mountain Springs bush lupine, Colorado bush lupine

References

External links

*
Photo gallery: ''Lupinus excubitus''Photo gallery: ''Lupinus excubitus'' var. ''austromontanus''Photo gallery: ''Lupinus excubitus'' var. ''excubitus''
excubitus Flora of California Flora of Nevada Flora of Northwestern Mexico Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Great Basin Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the Colorado Desert Natural history of the Mojave Desert Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Lupinus-stub