LUPINUS GUSSONEANUS

Family and Genus:- See- LEGUMINOSAE

Common Names:- Hairy lupin

Homotypic Synonyms:- Lupinus hirsutus var. gussoneanus, Lupinus hirsutus

var. micranthus, Lupinus hirsutus subsp. micranthus, Lupinus hirsutus proles

micranthus, Lupinus micranthus.

Meaning:- Lupinus. The ancient Latin name for the white lupin.

Gussoneanus (L) Probably for Giovanni Gussone (1787-1866). Director

of the Botanic garden at Palermo.

General description:- Brown-hirsute annual.

Stems:-

1) 10-40 cm.

Leaves:-

1) Leaflets, 15-70 x 5-15 mm, obovate-cuneate to obovate-oblong, mucronate,

sparsely hirsute.

2) Stipules, linear-subulate.

Flower:-

1) Racemes, up to 12 cm,

a) lower flowers, alternate.

b) upper irregularly verticillate.

2) Peduncle, up to 1·5 cm.

3) Calyx,

a) upper lip 6 mm, 2-partite.

b) lower 10-12 mm, deeply 3-dentate.

4) Corolla, 10-14 mm, blue,

a) standard, white in the middle.

b) keel, blackish-violet at apex.

Fruit:-

1) Legume, 30-50 x 10-12 mm, hirsute, red-brown.

2) Seeds, 3-4, 5-8 mm, orbicular-quadrangular, compressed, smooth and dull,

pinkish-grey to brown, with dark veins and dots.

Key features:-

1) Leaflets, 5-15 mm wide, obovate.

2) Lower lip of calyx, 10-12 mm.

3) Corolla,10-14 mm.

4) Seeds, 9-12 mm diam.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Scrubland vegetation, olive groves, field margins and open woodland. 0-

1100 m.

Distribution:- Scattered records from W Greece including the Ionian Islands. -

Widespread in the Mediterranean region, extending to W Syria. Fairly rae on Crete

known from only a few scattered locations.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to May.

Photos by:- Kind permission of Saxifraga - Free Nature Images