Herbs, perennial, 3–12 dm, puberulent to silky-appressed. Cotyledons deciduous, petiolate. Stems ascending-erect, clustered, branched. Leaves cauline; stipules not leaflike, green to silvery, 5–18 mm; petiole 2–7 cm; leaflets 5–10, blades 20–70 × 5–14 mm, adaxial surface pubescent. Peduncles 2–12 cm; bracts deciduous, 6–16 mm. Racemes open, 10–44 cm; flowers usually whorled. Pedicels 2–7 mm. Flowers (8–)12–16 mm; calyx bulge or spur 0–1 mm, abaxial lobe entire or 3-toothed, 7–13 mm, adaxial lobe 2-toothed, 6–12 mm; corolla usually purple, rarely yellowish white, banner patch indistinct, banner glabrous abaxially, keel strongly upcurved, glabrous, banner and wings narrow, not covering tip. Legumes 2–5 cm, silky. Seeds 3–7, gray to tan, mottled tan, 4–7 mm. 2n = 48.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat: Dry slopes, sandy prairies, open­ings of mixed conifer forests, ± montane.
Elevation: 500–3000 m.

Distribution

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Calif., Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Lupinus albicaulis ranges from the Cascades in western Oregon and Washington, and in California from the northern North Coast Ranges to the western slope of the Sierra Nevada and southward into the Western Transverse Ranges. Plants with flowers 8–11 mm have been called var. shastensis.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.