Lupinus luteus L.
yellow lupin
Herbaceous annual; stem hirsute, becoming erect, branched at base. Leaflets (5)-9-11, villous above, sericeous below, obovate-oblong, acute, 30-60 × (5)-8-15 mm; stipules subulate to linear-obovate, 8-30 mm long. Infl. 5-25 cm long, many-flowered; peduncle 5-12 cm long. Fls regularly verticillate in distant whorls; pedicels c. 2 cm long. Calyx densely hairy; upper lip very deeply 2-partite; lower lip longer and shallowly 3-toothed, with 2 smaller lobes often present between it and upper lip. Corolla bright golden yellow, sweetly scented, 13-16 mm long. Pod densely villous, 4-6-seeded, 40-60 mm long; seeds orbicular-quadrangular, compressed, smooth, mottled black or brown on white (pure white in some cvs), 6-8 mm diam.
N.: well-established and common in W. coastal areas near Kaitaia (Northland), Great Barrier Id.
W. Mediterranean, N. Africa 1904
Sandy waste places and coastal sites, scrub.
FL Sep-Feb.
Possibly poisonous (Connor 1977).
Yellow lupin is cultivated for fodder and has been reported as a casual in other parts of N.Z. but seems never to have established except in Northland and on Great Barrier Id.
