Lupinus pusillus

Lupinus pusillus (rusty lupine or dwarf lupine) is an annual plant in the legume family (fabaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States. :159Growth pattern. It is an annual plant growing up to 9 inches (23 cm) tall. “Pusillus is for the small size of the plant. :159Leaves and stems. Leaves are compound palmate with 3-9 1-2 to 1 1-2 inches (1. 3 to 3. 8 cm) long inversely lance- shaped leaflets. :159Plant stems and leaf stems (petioles) have long spreading hairs. :159Inflorescence and fruit. It blooms from April to June. :159Flowers are in stalks of 4-38 and bluish to purple or bicolored, with a yellow spot on the upper petal. :159Seedpods are nearly oval and have constrictions separating the seeds. :159Habitat and range. It can be found in desert shrubl and pinyon juniper woodland communities, from as far north as Washington, to California, and throughout the southwest. :159When growing in reddish sand, the blue flowers make a striking contrast with the sun at a low angle. :159Ecological and human interactions. It is pollinated by bees. :159