Lupinus magnificus var. glarecola

Coso mountain lupine, Coso Mountains Lupine

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Coso mountain lupine is a rare (CNPS 4.3) California native perennial found in southeastern Sierra Nevada Mountains and Mojave Desert bioregions in desert slopes, washes, sagebrush scrub, and Joshua tree woodland at elevations of 1,000 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces blue to purple flowers in elongated clusters 10 to 30 centimeters long with delicate, slender flower stalks. Growing with upright stems that spread 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it forms distinctive clumps in arid landscapes. Its compound leaves are composed of multiple narrow, pointed leaflets arranged in a palmate pattern, typical of lupine species. The flowers have a distinctively curved keel, measuring 10 to 12 millimeters long, creating an elegant, arching silhouette against the desert backdrop.

Habitat: Desert slopes, washes, sagebrush scrub, Joshua tree woodland, desert scrub

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 1000-2500 m

Bioregions: se SNH, DMoj.

California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino

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