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Chamisso Lupine
[SF Lessingia close-up]

Lobos Creek Dunes and Valley 
Wildflowers and Flowering Shrubs

[Chamisso's Lupine flowers]

Chamisso's Lupine / Silvery or Beach Blue Lupine
(Lupinus chamissonis)
Pea or Legume (Fabaceae) family
Shrub
Bloom times: approx. April - July

There are at least 3 kinds of lupines at Lobos:
Chamisso's Lupine
Yellow Bush Lupine
Miniature Lupine

The Chamisso's Lupine tend to be the biggest shrubs on the site. A photo of one luxuriant bush is below.

[Chamisso's Lupine bush] Lupines were thought to be stealing nutrients from the soil because they flourished where other plants failed. Their name, "lupine" means "wolf" in Latin and was meant to refer to the fact that wolves stole chickens away from farmsteads. Lupines actually improve the soil by transforming nitrogen in the soil to a form that can be utilized by plants. 
[Chamisso's Lupine Flower close-up] [Seed pods of Chamisso's Lupine] This is a member of the pea family, something you can tell from its seeds (long, bulky pods) and the shape of the flowers.

Below, you can see the leaves, which can help distinguish this lupine from the Yellow Bush Lupine when not in bloom.

[Chamisso's Lupine leaves] [Chamisso's Lupine Leaves]

Both photos show the leaves of the Chamisso's Lupine.They are a frosty bluish-green, quite different in color from the bright green of the Yellow Bush Lupine.

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Any mistakes are mine. Comments?