Lupinus villosus Willd.

Lady Lupine; Pink Sandhill Lupine

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Lady Lupine is a native herbaceous perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is native to the southern third of Alabama. Lady Lupine occurs in sandhills, in scrub oak woodlands, in xeric Longleaf Pine forests, on old dunes, and on roadside banks. It is a perennial with a large woody taproot. The stems are decumbent or erect, green in color, and densely shaggy pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, elliptic in outline, with entire margins. The leaves are densely shaggy pubescent. Flowers are produced in dense racemes that overtop the stems. Flowers are papilionaceous and pink in color. The standard petal has a reddish-purple spot in its center. The fruit is a legume. Lady Lupine is one of three native species of Lupine in Alabama. It differs from the Southern Sundial Lupine (Lupinus perennis Linnaeus ssp. gracilis (Nuttall) D. Dunn) by having simple leaves and pinkish-purple flowers. It differs from the Blue Sandhill Lupine (Lupinus diffusus Nuttall) by having densely hairy leaves and pinkish-purple instead of blue flowers.--A. Diamond

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Native

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