''Lupinus tidestromii'' is a rare species of
lupine known by the common names clover lupine and Tidestrom's lupine. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to the coastline of
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
just to the north and south of the
Golden Gate in
Sonoma,
Marin, and
Monterey Counties. It is a plant of the
sand dunes at separate beach locations in these counties. A very limited amount of this plant's habitat remains; it is a federally listed
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...
. Construction of
golf courses on the
Monterey Peninsula caused the
extirpation of two known occurrences, and
boardwalks were built at
Asilomar State Beach to prevent trampling of the delicate dune habitat there.
[USFWS]
Six Plants and Myrtle's Silverspot Butterfly from Coastal Dunes in Northern and Central California Determined to be Endangered
''Federal Register'' June 22, 1992.
This is a perennial herb producing a prostrate stem growing along the sand and reaching 10 to 30 centimeters in length. Each palmate leaf is made up of 3 to 5 leaflets measuring 1 or 2 centimeters in length. The herbage is coated in white woolly hairs. The small, upright
inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
bears whorls of flowers each just over a centimeter in length. The flower is blue or purple with a white, yellow, or purplish patch on its banner. The fruit is a shaggy-haired
legume pod 2 or 3 centimeters long.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentLocal Plant ProfilePhoto gallery
tidestromii
Endemic flora of California
{{Lupinus-stub