Scientific Name: Lupinus sparsiflorus
Common Name: Lupine
Family: Fabaceae, Pea or Leguminosae Family
Duration: Annual
Size: Up to 15 inches more or less.
Growth Form: Forb/herb; stems slender.
Leaves: Green; petiolate, leaflets 7 to 11, narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate.
Flower Color: Blue, pinkish, whitish, drying darker; banner spot whitish and becoming magenta; fruit is a legume.
Comments: Coulter's Lupine or Mojave Lupine as it is also called, is one of the most common Lupines where found in Arizona. In a good year with ample fall and winter rains, this species carpets the floor of the southern Arizona desert, competing for attention with Globemallows (Sphaeralcea spp.) and Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata), providing mile after mile of blue-violet, brick red, and brilliant yellow.
