Lupinus texensis
Family: Fabaceae
Plant Description: Hairy annual, leaves more or less pointed, and racemes usually 4 – 5 cm thick. Older stems prostrate, the younger portions erect, up to 16 inches tall. Leaves alternate, hairy, compound, leaflets usually 5, up to 1 inch long. Flowers strongly bilateral, pea shaped, about 1/2 inch long petals blue, one of them with a white center. Fruit a hairy legume up to 1 3/8 inch long.
Plant Trivia: Texas State flower.
Field Identification:
Occurrence: Frequent on clay, sandy loam, or caliche in prairies and openings commonly in large patches. Found statewide.
Bloom Period: Spring
Plant Use: Attractive plant often planted alongside highways.
Key to Lupinus species:
- Tip of raceme rounded, blue; wing petals inflated………………………………………………………………………………...L. subcarnosus
Tip of raceme pointed; white wings scarcely inflated………..L. texensis
stxflora 