XLupinus lepidus ssp. caespitosus - Tidy LupineX
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Tidy Lupine -or- Pacific Lupine -or- Stemless Dwarf Lupine (Lupinus lepidus ssp. caespitosus), family Fabaceae (Pea)
This specimen is one of the more unusual sightings for us from the Pea family. There are no pictorial representations (that we found) of this species on the internet or in books in our library. Our identification is based on the botanical key presented in Weber and Wittmann's Colorado Flora Eastern Slope: "Dwarf, forming low, spreading clumps, the inforescence (flower) shorter than the leaves. 1A: (scaly from the persistant petiole bases)." See the additional photographs page on this species for a macro shot of this characteristic.
A number of good sources of images of Lupinus are out there: Burke Museum, CalPhotos, and for Colorado species specifically - Southwest Colorado Wildflowers.
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Plant location: Found exploring Cottonwood Pass, nearing Taylor Park Reservoir, Gunnison Colorado on July 1, 2009. USDA plant database shows this species present in only two United States: Colorado and Wyoming. Plant -
Bloom period: Summer.Foliage -
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