Lupinus arboreus Sims
tree lupin
Woody perennial shrub; stems densely sericeous, particularly in younger parts, erect and much-branched. Leaflets 5-11, glabrous above, sericeous below, oblong-ovate, acute, 15-40 × 3-10 mm; stipules subulate, 10-20 mm long. Infl. 10-30 cm long, few- to many-flowered; peduncle 5-10 cm long. Fls subverticillate; pedicels (5)-8-12 mm long. Calyx densely hairy; upper lip shallowly 2-toothed; lower lip about equal and entire, with 2 small lobes often present between it and upper lip. Corolla usually yellow, rarely white or tinged blue, sweetly scented, 15-18 mm long. Pod villous, 7-12-seeded, 40-80 mm long; seeds ellipsoid, smooth, dark brown and somewhat mottled, 4-6 mm long.
N.; S.: locally common to abundant throughout; St.: locally common in sandy areas near sea.
California 1899
Particularly well-established in coastal sandy sites, but also occurring inland in riverbeds and waste places particularly in the North Id.
FL Oct-May.
The hybrid L. arboreus × L. polyphyllus occurs occasionally; this is a shrub with broader, longer leaflets and more leaflets per lf than in L. arboreus; the yellow corolla is shot through with blue or purple. Occasional plants of L. arboreus have white or blue corollas, but differ in no other way from yellow-flowered plants.
