Herbs, perennial, 12–8 dm, densely hairy to tomentose, gray to silver; rhizomes 3–7 mm diam. Cotyledons deciduous, petiolate. Stems ascending, spreading, or erect, branched. Leaves cauline; stipules not leaflike, green to silvery, 4–15 mm; petiole 2–7 cm; leaflets 7–9, blades 25–70 × 6–14 mm, adaxial surface pubescent. Peduncles 3–7 cm; bracts deciduous, 4–14 mm. Racemes 10–30 cm; flowers ± whorled. Pedicels 3–7 mm. Flowers 10–18 mm; calyx bulge or spur 0–1 mm, abaxial lobe entire or 3-toothed, 8–12 mm, adaxial lobe 2-toothed, 7–11 mm; corolla purple, banner patch white or not, banner glabrous abaxially, keel upcurved, glabrous, banner ovate, wings wide, covering keel tip. Legumes 3–4.5 cm, hairy. Seeds 5–7, mottled brown, 4–7 mm.
Distribution
California, nw Mexico.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Flowers 10–14 mm; stems 3–4 mm diam. | Lupinus formosus var. formosus |
| 1 | Flowers 16–18 mm; stems 5–7 mm diam. | Lupinus formosus var. robustus |