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Reveal, James L.

Lupinus bicolor

Lupinus bicolor Lindl.

Miniature Lupine, Miniature Annual Lupine, Pygmy-leaved Lupine

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: lubi

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

This is a small, blue and white, annual lupine growing to 16 in. in height. A usually small, grayish, hairy, branched plant with palmately compound leaves and blue-violet and white pea flowers arranged in whorls in short, thick, cone-like racemes. The pea-like flowers occur in a short raceme and are subtended by small, palmately compound leaves.

Miniature Lupine and California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) are common companions, the blue cast given to fields by the lupine perfectly complementing the fiery orange of the poppy. There are many other annual lupines. The oldest known viable seeds, discovered in 1967 frozen in a lemming burrow, are from an Arctic lupine estimated to be 10,000 years old; when planted the seeds germinated in 48 hours.

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