Lupinus lepidus var. utahensis
Utah dwarf lupine, Stemless Lupine
Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Utah dwarf lupine is a California native perennial ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in the White Mountains on sandy or rocky sites with sagebrush and lodgepole pine at elevations of 1,500 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces white-spotted flowers with ciliate keel margins, nestled in compact clusters 2 to 3 centimeters long. Growing as a densely hairy, matted plant 10 to 25 centimeters tall with short, tufted stems, it forms low, compact mats across its mountain habitat. Its leaves appear basal, measuring 8 to 20 millimeters long, and are densely covered in fine hairs. The plant's short-lived perennial nature allows it to thrive in harsh, high-elevation environments with sparse, rocky terrain.
Habitat: Sand or rocks, with sagebrush, lodgepole pine
Bloom period: Jun-Jul
Elevation: 1500-3500 m
Bioregions: W&I (White Mtns)
California counties: Mono, Inyo, Lassen
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.