About Lupinus albicaulis Douglas
Lupinus albicaulis Douglas is a species of lupine commonly called sicklekeel lupine. It is native to the western United States, ranging from Washington to California, where it grows mostly in mountain habitats. This is a hairy, erect perennial herb that often grows over one meter in height. Each palmate leaf is composed of 5 to 10 leaflets, and each leaflet can reach up to 7 centimetres (2+3⁄4 inches) long. The inflorescence grows up to 44 centimetres (17 inches) long, and bears whorls of individual flowers that are 1 to 1.6 centimetres (1⁄3 to 2⁄3 inches) long. Flowers range in color from purple to yellowish or whitish, and have a characteristic sickle-shaped keel. The fruit is a silky-hairy legume pod up to 5 centimetres (2 inches) long that holds several seeds. In its native Oregon, this plant has been cultivated for multiple uses, including reforestation and revegetation of roadsides and other disturbed habitats.
