Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl.
Russell lupin
Herbaceous perennial; stems sparsely to moderately hairy, erect, branched from base. Leaflets 8-15, usually ± glabrous above, sparsely to moderately sericeous below, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, acute to acuminate, 30-130 × (5)-10-30 mm; stipules oblong-lanceolate, 15-35 mm long. Infl. 15-60 cm long, many-flowered; peduncle up to 15 cm long. Lower fls alternate; upper fls subverticillate; pedicels 5-14 mm long. Calyx densely hairy; upper lip shallowly 2-toothed; lower lip slightly longer, entire. Corolla blue, purple, orange, yellow, pink or white, often of 2 colours, not or slightly scented, 12-20 mm long. Pod densely villous, 5-10-seeded, 30-50 mm long; seeds ellipsoid, smooth, dark brown and somewhat mottled, c. 2 mm long.
N.: occasional in Wellington Province; S.: S.W. Nelson, inland Westland, Canterbury, Otago, Southland; St.: Halfmoon Bay.
W. North America 1958
Riverbeds and waste places, established locally in lowland areas, but widespread in streams, riverbeds and other disturbed montane to subalpine areas.
FL Sep-Feb.
Although the wild plants described here as L. polyphyllus fit the definition of that sp. fairly well, all of the N.Z. material is in fact of cultivated hybrid origin being of the horticultural group known as Russell lupins. A wide range of the cultivated fl. colours is retained in the wild plants, although blue- and white-flowered forms are most common.
