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Lupinus perennis

L.

Sundial Lupine

G5Secure Found in 14 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.161284
Element CodePDFAB2B340
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderFabales
FamilyFabaceae
GenusLupinus
Other Common Names
Lupin vivace (FR) sundial lupine (EN) Wild Lupine (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-08-06
Change Date1984-06-07
Edition Date2024-08-06
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Lupinus perennis is a perennial herb that is widely distributed in the eastern United States and southern Canada. With a large range extent, more than 1500 occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Lupinus perennis is native to eastern North America from Minnesota to southern Ontario and Maine, to eastern Texas and northern Florida (FNA 2023). It is also exotic in northern Europe and Asia (POWO 2024, GBIF 2024, FNA 2023). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be more than 1500 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Lupinus perennis is threatened by lack of fire leading to succession, rights-of-way construction and maintenance, timber harvest, invasive species, deer herbivory, and other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this taxon. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Lupinus perennis grows in sandy soils in dry areas, pine barrens, openings in oak or conifer forests, bluffs, meadows, roadsides (FNA 2023).

Ecology

Lupinus perennis is an important host plant for endangered Lepidopterans (the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly relies on L. perennis as a larval host plant; sundial lupine is a larval host plant for Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus) and Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) butterflies and several species of moths (FNA 2023).

Reproduction

The dehiscing seed pods expel seeds 3 to 16 ft from the parent plant (Meyer 2006).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest EdgeWoodland - ConiferGrassland/herbaceousBarrens
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN2
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS2Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New YorkS3Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
DelawareS1Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
MassachusettsS2Yes
WisconsinSNRYes
MississippiS1Yes
IowaS1Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
New JerseyS2Yes
MinnesotaS3Yes
KentuckySNANo
South CarolinaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
MaineSXYes
West VirginiaS2Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
IndianaS4Yes
OhioS3Yes
TexasSNRYes
MarylandS2Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
FloridaS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS3Yes
New HampshireSNRYes
Rhode IslandS2Yes
MichiganSNRYes
VermontS1Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSXYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undeterminedUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (14)
Florida (3)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
Virginia (8)
AreaForestAcres
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
Mottesheard (VA)Jefferson National Forest2,596
Oak KnobGeorge Washington National Forest10,882
SkidmoreGeorge Washington National Forest5,641
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
West Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Dry River (WV)George Washington National Forest7,331
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
Mottesheard (WV)Jefferson National Forest3,964
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2023. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 11. Magnoliophyta: Fabaceae, parts 1+2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvii + 1108 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Meyer, R. 2006. <i>Lupinus perennis</i>. In: Fire Effects Information System. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Online. Available: www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ (accessed 22 Nov 2017). 
  6. NatureServe. 2024. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  7. Plants of the World Online (POWO). 2024. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Online. Available: https://powo.science.kew.org/ (accessed 2024).
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).