About Lupinus tidestromii Greene
Lupinus tidestromii (common names clover lupine and Tidestrom's lupine) is a rare lupine species. It is endemic to California's coastline, found in separate beach sand dune habitats in Sonoma, Marin, and Monterey Counties, located just north and south of the Golden Gate. Very little of this plant's native habitat remains, and it is classified as a federally listed endangered species. Two known populations were extirpated by golf course construction on the Monterey Peninsula, and boardwalks were installed at Asilomar State Beach to prevent trampling of the species' delicate dune habitat. This species is a perennial herb that grows a prostrate stem along the sand, reaching 10 to 30 centimeters in length. Each palmate leaf is composed of 3 to 5 leaflets, each 1 to 2 centimeters long. The above-ground plant tissue is covered in white woolly hairs. A small, upright inflorescence holds whorls of flowers, each just over one centimeter in length. Flowers are blue or purple, with a white, yellow, or purplish patch on their banner. The fruit is a shaggy-haired legume pod 2 to 3 centimeters long.
