Lupinus polyphyllus
Common name
Russell lupin
Family
Fabaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
LUPPOL
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial. Establishes in waste places and lowland areas, streams, riverbeds and disturbed montane to subalpine areas.
Detailed description
Herbaceous perennial; stems sparsely to moderately hairy, erect, branched from base. Leaflets 8~15, usu. glabrous above, sparsely to moderately sericeous below, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, acute to acuminate, 30-130 x 10-30 mm; stipules oblong-lanceolate, 15~35 mm long. Infl. 15-60 cm tall, many-flowered; peduncle up to 15 cm long. Lower flowers alternate; upper flowers subverticillate; pedicels 5-14mm long. Calyx densely hairy; upper lip shallowly 2-toothed; lower lip slightly longer, entire. Corolla blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow or white, often of 2 colours, slightly scented if at all, 12-20 mm long. Pod densely villous, 5-10-seeded, 30-50 mm long; seeds ellipsoid, smooth, dark brown and somewhat mottled, approx. 2 mm long. (Webb et al., 1988)
Flowering
September, October, November, December, January, February
Flower colours
Lilac, Purple, Red/Pink, White, Yellow
Life cycle
Perennial. Non vegetatively spreading perennial with some plants reaching 50 years (Timmins & MacKenzie 1995). Germination of seed occurs in autumn and spring (ibid.). Seed is produced at 200-1 000 kg/ha. Seeds remain viable for 10 or more years (ibid.). Explosive mechanism, humans, tourists, waterways (particularly in floods) (ibid.).
Year naturalised
1958
Origin
N. America
Reason for introduction
Ornamental; now seriously invasive in South Canterbury, especially in gravel river beds and on road verges. See article on NZ Geographic magazine.
Tolerances
Highly tolerant of frost and poor drainage; slightly tolerant of shade and intolerant of drought. Can resprout from the base after physical damage and grazing (Timmins & MacKenzie 1995).
Poisonous plant
The seed are poisonous if they are chewed or crushed before eating.