Lupin(e) (Noborifuji in Japanese)
Lupinus spp. [Fabaceae (Leguminosae)]
[ L. lepidus | L. lepidus | L. polyphyllus ]
Lupinus L.
150-200 species
Blades usually palmately divided into 5-17 leaflets in most species (reduced to a single leaflet in a few species)
On Mount St. Helens, there are two lupine species:
L. lepidus Douglas ex Lindl. has a few varieties.
L. latifolius Lindl. ex J. G. Agardh
Photos on L. lepidus and L. latifolius were taken in 1993 when I was in the University of Washington.
Lupinus lepidus on Mount St. Helens
Pacific Lupin
[Left] A single lupine patch. This species is a short-lived, nitrogen-fixing plant. The seedling growth is fast. [Right] The most of ground surface is covered with lupine. On Mount Usu, Japan, Trifolium repens and Lotus corniculatus are nitrogen-fixing and well-established soon after the 1977-78 eruptions. These species are known as 'facilitative' plants.
Lupinus latifolius on Mount St. Helens
Broad-leaved Lupin
Distributed from CA to WA. I did not measure this species.
Lupinus polyphyllus in Hokkaido, Japan
Bigleaf Lupin
This is an exotic species in Japan, and its biological invasion is conspicuous in Hokkaido. This photo was taken in Kita-Yuzawa skislope, Hokkaido Island, Japan, on June 27, 2007.
References
- Bishop, J. 2002. Early primary succession on Mount St. Helens: Impact of insect herbivores on colonizing lupines. Ecology 83: 191-202
- Tsuyuzaki, S., Titus, J.H., & del Moral, R. 1997. Seedling establishment patterns in the Pumice Plains, Mount St. Helens, Washington. Journal of Vegetation Science 8: 727-734