Longleaf bush lupine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Longleaf bush lupine |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Lupinus
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| Species: |
longifolius
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The longleaf bush lupine (Lupinus longifolius) is a type of lupin plant. It gets its common name from its long leaves. This plant is found naturally in the coastal mountains and hills of southern California and Baja California. It likes to grow in places like canyons and slopes. You can often see it in areas called Coastal sage scrub and chaparral. These are special kinds of plant communities.
Description
The longleaf bush lupine is a shrub. This means it's a woody plant, but smaller than a tree. It grows upright and can reach about 1.5 meters (nearly 5 feet) tall. Its leaves are shaped like a hand, which is called "palmate." Each leaf has 5 to 10 smaller parts called leaflets. These leaflets can be up to 6 centimeters long. The plant's leaves and stems are often green or gray-green. They are covered in short, shiny, silvery hairs.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of the longleaf bush lupine grow in a long, narrow cluster. This cluster is called a raceme. Each flower is between 1 and 2 centimeters long. The flowers are usually purple or blue. Sometimes, they have a white spot on their top petal, which is called the "banner." After the flowers bloom, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a dark, hairy legume pod. Each pod holds about 6 to 8 seeds.
