Lupinus hillii, Hill's Lupine, Southwest Desert Flora

Lupinus hillii, Hill's Lupine

Scientific Name: Lupinus hillii
Common Name: Hill's Lupine

Also Called: Hill Lupine

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae Family

Synonyms: ()

Status: Native

Duration: Perennial

Size: Up to 2 feet (.61 m) or so.

Growth Form: Hill's Lupine is a forb/herb that grows upright or spreading horizontally, then becoming upright; the stems are without hairs or other surface ornamentation.

Leaves: Hill's Lupine has green; palmately compound leaves; the leaflets are hairy.

Flower Color: Hill's Lupine has blue, lavender, purple or violet showy flowers; the fruit is a legume pod.

Flowering Season: May to September.

Elevation: 6,000 to 9,000 feet (1,829-2,743 m).

Habitat Preferences: Pine forests.

Recorded Range: Relatively rare in the United States, Lupinus hillii is native only to eastern Arizona and central eastern New Mexico.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Lupinus hillii.

North America species range map for Hill's Lupine Lupinus hillii:

Click image for full size map.

U.S. Weed Information: Unknown
Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: Unknown
Wetland Indicator: Unknown

Threatened/Endangered Information: The U.S.D.A. Database, Natural Resources Conservation Service lists Lupinus hillii as a G3 Vulnerable species — At moderate risk of extinction or collapse due to a fairly restricted range, relatively few populations or occurrences, recent and widespread declines, threats, or other factors.

NatureServe Explorer lists the variety, Lupinus hillii var. hillii, Hill's Lupine, as an "Imperiled Variety" with a T3 rank, or the same as a G3 species above.

Genus Information: In North America, USDA Plants Database lists 356 species for Lupinus which includes sub-species and varieties. Worldwide, World Flora Online includes 630 accepted species names for the genus. The Plant List lists 626 species of Lupinus and an additional 446 of infraspecific rank for the genus Lupinus.

The genus Lupinus was published in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, (1707-1778).

Members of the genus Lupine are native to North and South America and also to North Africa and the Mediterranean.

In the Southwestern United States: Arizona has 26 species of Lupinus, California has 94 species, Nevada has 40 species, New Mexico has 19 species, Texas has 8 species, Utah has 25 species. Data approximate, subject to revision.

There are 3 varieties in Lupinus hillii;

Lupinus hillii var. arizonicus, Hill's Lupine; (AZ, NM);

Lupinus hillii var. hillii, Hill's Lupine, (AZ);

Lupinus hillii var. osterhoutianus, Osterhout's Lupine, (AZ, NM);

Comments: Hills Lupinus is relatively rare in the United States where it is found in Arizona and New Mexico. The type specimen for Lupinus hillii was collected from Coconino National Forest.

Also see in Southwest Desert Flora; Arizona Lupine, Lupinus arizonicus; Bajada Lupine, Lupinus concinnus; and Coulter's Lupine, Lupinus sparsiflorus.

Importance to Wildlife, Birds and Livestock Hill's Lupine, Lupinus hillii has attractive flowers, the flowers and their seeds may be visited by hummingbirds and/or small mammals including rodents and granivorous birds in search of nectar or food.

Beneficial Value to Butterflies, Honey Bees and Insects Hill's Lupine, Lupinus hillii has attractive flowers, the flowers and their plants may be visited by butterflies, moths, flies, honeybees, Native Bees and other insects in search of food and nectar. Etymology: The genus “Lupinus” (Lupi'nus:) is from the Latin words lupus or lupinus for "wolf," a reference to the earlier thoughts that the plants were robbing soil or nutrients; Lupinus species actually replenishes the soil.

The genus Lupinus was published in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, (1707-1778).

The taxon “Lupinus hillii” was described in 1912 by Edward Lee Greene, (1843-1915)

Ethnobotany - Native American Ethnobotany; University of Michigan - DearbornUnknown