Lupinus dalesiae
Quincy lupine
(c) Erin Snyder, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Lupinus dalesiae (Quincy lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by yellow flowers with long white spreading hairs.
Quincy lupine is a native perennial herb found in northern Sierra Nevada Mountains (Plumas County) in dry pine forest at elevations of 1,000 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow flowers with hairy banner petals in clusters 5 to 16 centimeters long. Growing with erect stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it is densely covered in long white spreading hairs. Its leaves are composed of 6 to 9 leaflets, each 20 to 45 millimeters long, with dense tomentose (woolly) surfaces and prominent stipules 6 to 16 millimeters long. The fruit is a strigose pod 2 to 3 centimeters long, containing 3 to 5 tan seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 43 sympatric species; key features are yellow flowers with long white spreading hairs
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry pine forest
Elevation: (850)1000-2500 m
California counties: Plumas, Sierra
Bloom period
Lupinus dalesiae blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
How to tell it apart
vs Salvia: Lupine has pea flowers and palmate leaves; sage has tubular two-lipped flowers and opposite leaves.; vs Artemisia: Lupine has large showy flower spikes; sagebrush has tiny inconspicuous flowers and silvery aromatic foliage.; vs Thermopsis: Lupine typically has 7-11 leaflets; false lupine has exactly 3 leaflets and bright yellow flowers.; vs Delphinium: Lupine has pea flowers; larkspur has flowers with prominent backward-pointing spur.; vs Vicia: Lupine is upright with palmate leaves; vetch is climbing with pinnate leaves and tendrils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lupinus dalesiae native to California?
Yes. Lupinus dalesiae is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus dalesiae bloom?
Lupinus dalesiae blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Lupinus dalesiae grow?
Lupinus dalesiae occurs in Plumas, Sierra, at elevations of (850)1000-2500 m.
What plant family does Lupinus dalesiae belong to?
Lupinus dalesiae is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
Is Lupinus dalesiae rare or endangered?
Lupinus dalesiae carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.