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   In hot dry areas, some species of Lupine may be sparse, short, and have few flowers; in moist woods other Lupine become luxuriously bushy, tall, with numerous flowers.  Lupines have a long flowering period and they are one of the most eye-catching flowering plants in the Four Corners area. (They also provide magnificent displays in many other areas, e.g., the Blue Bonnets of Texas and the Bush Lupine of the California coast).  In the Four Corners, look for some Lupines such as L. caudatus flowering in March and April and others such as L. argenteus flowering into September.  All of the Four Corners Lupines have numerous (often dozens of) blue/purple, five-part flowers making up long (often numerous) racemes.

    Because they hybridize, exact species identification of Lupines is often exceedingly difficult: Intermountain Flora states, "The taxonomy of the small-flowered perennial lupines is notoriously difficult.  No sexual incompatibilities interfere with free genesis of fertile hybrids which blur the already precarious distinctions...."  Utah flora expert Stanley Welsh says, "The genus [Lupinus] is notoriously difficult because of lack of clear diagnostic features."

      Linnaeus named this genus in 1753.  "Lupinus" (Latin for "Wolf") was so named because of the erroneous belief that the species degraded land.

 

 Lupinus kingii  (Lupine)
Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Foothills, montane.  Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lone Mesa State Park, August 4, 2008.

Lupinus kingii is an annual growing from four-to-twelve inches tall (shown here at about five inches tall).  It is very common in the Black Sagebrush (Seriphidium novum) of Lone Mesa State Park and I promise to get photographs of the flower next year.   

Lupinus kingii was first collected in Heber Utah around 1870 by Sereno Watson and he named it in 1873.
Lupinus kingii  (Lupine)
Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Foothills, montane.  Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lone Mesa State Park, August 4, 2008.

Flowers can be sessile, as shown, or on short peduncles.
Lupinus kingii  (Lupine)
Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Foothills, montane.  Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
Lone Mesa State Park, August 4, 2008.

Pods are hairy and eventually develop a fine, pointed tip.