Lupinus pusillus var. intermontanus

Intermountain lupine

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Intermountain lupine is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native annual found in the Great Basin in Modoc and Inyo counties, growing in open sandy areas and sagebrush scrub at elevations of 500 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pale blue flowers fading to pink or white, with a distinctive white or yellow banner spot, measuring 6 to 8 millimeters long. Growing 5 to 12 centimeters tall with dense hair more than 1 millimeter long, it has a compact growth habit with leaves clustered near the base. Its leaves are divided into 5 to 6 leaflets, each 10 to 20 millimeters long and about 5 millimeters wide, appearing smooth on the upper surface. The fruit is an oblong pod 1.5 to 2 centimeters long, containing two wrinkled seeds with ridged margins.

Habitat: Open, sandy areas, sagebrush scrub

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 500-2100 m

Bioregions: GB (Modoc, Inyo cos.)

California counties: Kern, Inyo, Modoc, Lassen, Mono

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