Lupinus lepidus var. aridus

Great basin dwarf lupine

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Great basin dwarf lupine is a California native perennial found in the Great Basin and eastern Sierra Nevada in sagebrush scrub and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,500 to 3,200 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pale blue to blue-purple flowers in dense whorls with a reflexed banner petal over 3 millimeters wide. Growing with loosely tufted, short stems 10 to 15 centimeters tall that are rarely branched and pilose to coarse-bristly, it forms compact clusters. Its leaf blades are 15 to 28 millimeters long, appearing basal and partially covering the flower raceme. The compact inflorescence reaches 3.5 to 20 centimeters long, with flowers arranged in 6 to 14 distinct whorls.

Habitat: Uncommon. Bluffs, barrens, sandy or gravelly hillsides, sagebrush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: (Apr)May-Jun(Jul)

Elevation: (200)1500-3200 m

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.