sundial lupine

not listed

N3-N4 - Vulnerable to Apparently Secure

SNR - Unranked

not listed

Sundial lupine is a 8″ to 24″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on numerous stems from a well-developed taproot.

In its first year of growth this produces a rosette of basal leaves. In the second year it sends up several leafy, flowering stems.

The stems are more or less erect, slightly hairy, and marked with fine, vertical, parallel lines.

Stem leaves are alternate on ¾″ to 2⅓″ long leaf stalks. They are palmately divided into 7 to 11 leaflets. The leaflets inversely lance-shaped with the attachment at the narrow end, ¾″ to 2″ long, with a blunt tip. The upper surface is hairless. The lower surface is thinly hairy. The leaf stalks are longer than the leaflets.

The inflorescence is an erect, 4″ to 8″ long cluster at the ends of the stems. The clusters are unbranched, sparsely flowered, and cone-shaped at the top.

The flowers are about 1″ long and pea-like. The 5 petals are blue varying to pink and white, and are organized into a banner, 2 wings, and a keel formed by two petals fused together at the tip. The upper petal is shorter than the wings. The keel has a marginal fringe of hairs

The fruit is a yellow-grayish-brown, hairy, oblong, flattened pod with 5 or 6 seeds.

8″ to 24″

Blue

Bigleaf lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus var. polyphyllus) reaches 40″ at maturity. Its leaves are divided into 11 to 17 leaflets with pointed tips. The inflorescence is densely flowered.

Dry to moderate moisture. Prairies, open woods. Full to partial sun.

May to June

Sundial lupine is the only plant used as food by the larva of the endangered Karner Blue butterfly.

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Native

Locally common

Variety of a Subspecies
This is a variety of a subspecies, and some sources list it as Lupinus perennis ssp. perennis var. perennis. The ICN (International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants), the rules governing the naming of plant species, makes it clear that this is not correct. Following ICN rules, a taxa “may also be referred to” with the inclusion of the intervening name (in this case, “ssp. perennis”), but that does not constitute a formal name.

The honeybee is attempting access. They need to separate the petals before entering.

Location: St. Louis Co. MN

The honeybee is attempting access. They need to separate the petals before entering.