Herbs, perennial, 5–9 dm, silvery-woolly to -silky. Cotyle­dons deciduous, petiolate. Stems ascending or erect, clustered, branched, short-silky. Leaves cauline; stipules not leaflike, green to silvery, 5–17 mm; petiole 2–5 cm; leaflets 6–8, blades 20–80 × 2–7 mm, widest below middle, adaxial surface pubescent, hairs densely silver-silky to woolly. Peduncles 2–8 cm; bracts deciduous, 6–11 mm. Racemes 5–40 cm; flowers ± whorled. Pedicels 2–4 mm. Flowers 10–14 mm; calyx bulge or spur 0–1 mm, abaxial lobe 3-toothed, 6–8 mm, adaxial lobe notched, 5–7 mm; corolla lavender to blue, banner patch pale yellowish, banner usually glabrous abaxially, keel upcurved, glabrous, banner ovate, wings wide, covering keel tip. Legumes 2–3 cm, pubescent. Seeds 4–6, mottled olive brown, 5–6 mm.

Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Dry conifer forests.
Elevation: 1500–3000 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Calif.

Discussion

Lupinus elatus is found at high elevations in the southern Sierra Nevada and Transverse Ranges. It closely resembles L. adsurgens and L. andersonii.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.