Lupinus croceus Eastw.

Growth Habit

Lupinus croceus Eastw. is an erect perennial herb that grows 40 to 60 centimeters (16 to 24 inches) tall.

Leaf Features

It bears hairy palmate leaves made up of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long, with petioles 1 to 3 inches long.

Inflorescence

Its inflorescence is a raceme of many flowers, which are sometimes arranged in whorls.

Flower Characteristics

Each flower is just over a centimeter long and colored bright yellow to orange.

Fruit and Seeds

The fruit is a hairy legume pod up to 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) long, and the hairy seeds are just over 1 inch long.

Flowering Period

This species flowers from June through August.

Habitat Range

This plant grows in dry woods within Siskiyou and Trinity counties, at elevations between 5000 and 8000 feet (900 to 2700 meters).

Plant Communities

It occurs in Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, and Subalpine Forest plant communities.

Peak Observation Time

It is most commonly found in June and July.

Observation Record Breakdown

Records show that 51% of findings of this species are preserved specimens, 29% are occurrence records, and 20% are human observations.