[Lupines: The Genus Lupinus in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]
Columbia Gorge Broad-leaf Lupine, Suksdorf's Lupine, Thompson's Broad-leaved Lupine
Lupinus latifolius x sericeus var. latifolius
Synonyms: Lupinus latifolius ssp.thompsonianus, Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus, Lupinus sericeus ssp. sericeus var. thompsonianus, Lupinus sericeus var. thompsonianus, Lupinus suksdorfii
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Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine surrounded at left by bare-stem desert
parsley at mid-elevation on the Dalles Mt Rd..............April 24, 2006. The photo at right shows Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine blooming amongst non-native grasses and filaree (Erodium cicutarium) on slopes above the Dalles Mountain Ranch, Columbia Hills Historical State Park.....April 22, 2022.
The
photo at right shows a close-up of the flower of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine
from the Dalles Mt. Road.............April 24, 2006. Note that the banner is considerably
reflexed back from the wings. Note also the keel which is visible in this
view.
Characteristics:
The USDA website currently has this lupine classified as plumas
lupine, Lupinus onustus. The Oregon Plant Atlas currently classifies this lupine as Lupinus latifolius X sericeus.
Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine is an attractive perennial with erect stems
up to 1 meter in height, varying with variety from sparsely haired to heavily
haired. The stems typically have 6-8 leaves with the lower leaves having petioles
2-3 times longer than the blade. The lower leaves tend to persist through flowering
time. The petioles of the upper leaves range from 1-2 times longer than the
blades. The 7-9 leaflets are elliptic to obovate in shape and each ranges from
3-6 cm long and 10-20 mm wide. The upper leaf surface tends to be less haired
than the lower surface.
The inflorescence consists of several showy racemes from 10-20
cm long. the thin flower pedicels range from 4-9 mm long. The flowers range
from light blue to bluish or lavender, or may be marked with bright violet.
The flowers range from 12-15 mm long. The back of the banner lacks hairs and
is distinctly well reflexed backwards from the wings and keel (Index = 15-30.)
The wings lack hairs and completely cover the curved keel.The calyx is silky
to shaggy-haired and lacks a spur or sac. The upper calyx lip is shallowly double-toothed.
The seed pods range from 2-3 cm long and average 8 mm wide.
Varieties:
Columbia Gorge Lupine: var. thompsonianus - Plants
of low-mid elevation in the eastern Columbia River Gorge. Plants covered with
whitish to reddish hairs on the calyx, within the inflorescence, and often on
the leaves and stems. The keel is nonciliate. Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine
is often well over 25 cm tall.
Subalpine Lupine: L. arcticus ssp. subalpinus
(formerly var. subalpinus) - Plants of alpine and subalpine ridges
and meadows from Alaska south to the Cascade Mts. Plants covered with whitish
to reddish hairs on the calyx, within the inflorescence, and often on the leaves
and stems. The keel is ciliate and plants tend to range from 10-25 cm in height.
Broadleaf Lupine: L. latifolius ssp. latifolius
(formerly var. latifolius) - Plants of open
meadows and grasslands or open woods from the coast to open montane slopes,
mostly west of the Cascades from southern British Columbia south to the Sierra
Nevada of California. Plants covered with straight, appressed hairs all pointing
the same direction. Common broad-leaf lupine is usually over 25 cm tall.
Habitat:
Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine may be found on grasslands
and open oak and ponderosa pine woods.
Range:
Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine is endemic to the Columbia
River Gorge. The species as a whole may be found from the Cascade Mts. to the
coast from Alaska south to California.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations
of 100'-2200' from the White Salmon River east to east of Biggs, OR. It can also be found northward across the Major Creek Plateau and up the Klickitat River canyon.
Another view of the flower of Columbia Gorge Lupine, the Dalles Mt. Road.........April 24, 2006.
View down upon the back of the banner and at the upper calyx
which is bidentate. There are no hairs on the back of the banner.
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The photos above show the dorsal side (left) and ventral side (right) of the leaflets of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine. Note the dense coat
of spreading whitish hairs on both side of the leaflet. Note also that the base color of the leaflet still remains greenish. Click on each photo to see an enlarged version.
The photo above shows a close-up view of the keel and calyx of a flower of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine as seen near Stacker Butte in the Columbia Hills.........June 8, 2008. Note that the upper calyx lobe is much broaer than the lower lobe, a characteristic to help identify this species from the similar Lupinus rivularis.
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The photos above show various views of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine as seen near Stacker Butte in the Columbia Hills of the Columbia River Gorge........June 8, 2008. Click on each photo to see an enlarged version.
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Leaves of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine as seen on USFS lands at the southern base of Sevenmile Hill, Wasco County......February 21, 2020.
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Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine blooming on the southeast slopes of Sevenmile Hill several miles northwest of The Dalles, Oregon..........April 12, 2015 (upper photo). Photo at lower left of the young, newly arisen leaves of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine on Sevenmile Hill...........February 13, 2015. At lower center and right are examples of blooming Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine blooming at the same location............March 30, 2015.
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Columbia Gorge lupine beginning to bloom on the grounds of The Dalles Discovery Center.........April 5, 2016.
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A close-up of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine as seen at left beginning to bloom along the Klickitat Trail about 1 mile upstream of Fisher Hill Road........April 4, 2010. The photo at right shows newly emerging seedlings of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine observed on grassy slopes on Sevenmile Hill near The Dalles, OR......March 4, 2021. The photo clearly labels the seed leaves which are the 2 halves of the original seed which green up and form the first pair of leaves (cotyledons). From those, the stem extends and one gets other early palmate, lupine leaves.
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The photo at left shows Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine as seen at Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge...........May 10, 2009. The photo at right shows a close-up image of the inflorescence of Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine as seen near the Dalles Mt. Ranch trailhead at Columbia Hills Historical State Park......May 2, 2018.
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Columbia Gorge broad-leaf lupine in bloom at the Mill Creek Ridge Preserve, a Columbia Land Trust property south of The Dalles, OR......April 28, 2019.
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The leafy stem and raceme of Columbia Gorge lupine as seen at left along a mountain biking trail in oak forest above Rowland Lake, west of Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge..........April 15, 2010. The photo at right shows Columbia Gorge lupine beginning to bloom along Old Highway 8 adjacent to Rowland Lake, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.......April 3, 2018.
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The twin seed leaves or cotyledons of a seedling of Columbia Gorge lupine as seen at left along the Cherry Orchard Trail about one mile east of Lyle, Washington..........February 9, 2013. The photo at right shows several seedlings of Columbia Gorge lupine as seen at left along Eightmile Creek in Columbia Hills State Historical Park..........March 8, 2017.
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Columbia Gorge lupine observed in open oak woodlands along the old haul road between Klickitat, WA and the small community of Suburbia.....April 29, 2022.
Columbia Gorge lupine and Carey's balsamroot beginning to bloom high in the Columbia Hills State Park........April 12, 2014.
Paul Slichter
