Lupinus tidestromii
Encyclopedia
Lupinus tidestromii, Tidestrom's lupine, is a rare species of lupin
e known by the common names clover lupine and Tidestrøm's lupine. It is endemic to the coastline of California
just to the north and south of the Golden Gate
in Sonoma
, Marin
, and Monterey Counties
. It is a plant of the sand dunes
at separate beach locations in these counties. A very limited amount of this plant's habitat remains; it is a federally listed endangered species
. Construction of golf course
s on the Monterey Peninsula
caused the extirpation
of two known occurrences, and boardwalk
s were built at Asilomar State Beach
to prevent trampling of the delicate dune habitat there.
This is a perennial herb producing a prostrate stem growing along the sand and reaching 10 to 30 centimeters in length. Each palmate leaf is made up of 3 to 5 leaflets measuring 1 or 2 centimeters in length. The herbage is coated in white woolly hairs. The small, upright inflorescence
bears whorls of flowers each just over a centimeter in length. The flower is blue or purple with a white, yellow, or purplish patch on its banner. The fruit is a shaggy-haired legume pod 2 or 3 centimeters long.
Lupin
Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
e known by the common names clover lupine and Tidestrøm's lupine. It is endemic to the coastline of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
just to the north and south of the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
in Sonoma
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, Marin
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, and Monterey Counties
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
. It is a plant of the sand dunes
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
at separate beach locations in these counties. A very limited amount of this plant's habitat remains; it is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. Construction of golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s on the Monterey Peninsula
Monterey Peninsula
The Monterey Peninsula is located on the central California coast and comprises the cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, and unincorporated areas of Monterey County including the resort and community of Pebble Beach.-Monterey:...
caused the extirpation
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
of two known occurrences, and boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
s were built at Asilomar State Beach
Asilomar State Beach
Asilomar State Beach is a state park unit of California, USA, providing public access to rocky coast and dune habitat on the Monterey Peninsula. The property includes the Asilomar Conference Grounds, a conference center built in 1913 that is now a National Historic Landmark...
to prevent trampling of the delicate dune habitat there.
This is a perennial herb producing a prostrate stem growing along the sand and reaching 10 to 30 centimeters in length. Each palmate leaf is made up of 3 to 5 leaflets measuring 1 or 2 centimeters in length. The herbage is coated in white woolly hairs. The small, upright inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears whorls of flowers each just over a centimeter in length. The flower is blue or purple with a white, yellow, or purplish patch on its banner. The fruit is a shaggy-haired legume pod 2 or 3 centimeters long.