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A RC T I C L U P I N E – L U P I N U S A RC T I C U S
AUGUST 4, 2020
Alaska Wildflowers | Purple
ARCTIC LUPINE
Lupinus arcticus S. Watson
Common
Common Names
Names
arctic lupine
alaska lupine
subarctic lupine
Synonyms
Synonyms
none
Subspecies
Subspecies
Lupinus arcticus ssp. arcticus
Lupinus arcticus ssp. subalpinus
Genus: Lupinus L. (lupine)
Family: Fabaceae/Leguminosae (Pea family)
Order: Fabales
Full Classification
Duration And Growth Habit
Perennial – Forb/herb
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USES
Entire plant is poisonous, especially the seeds.
Lupinus arcticus was used as a poison by the Inupiat.
IDENTIFICATION
The arctic lupine is a purple-flowering, herbaceous
plant that commonly grows between 30-50 cm (12-20 in)
tall. The long stems grow from a long taproot. It may
have a single stem or many stems from a single plant.
The leaves have 6-8 ovate, pointed leaflets. The leaves
are palmate and attached by a long stem. Each stem has
an inflorescence of many (up to 30) pealike, dark blue,
or purple flowers occurring in a tall raceme. Flowers are
typically wooly, especially the buds.
Toxins And Sparteine
Along with numerous other alkaloid toxins, a
neurological toxin called Sparteine is found in the
arctic lupine. Studies by Gregory Sharam and Roy
Turkington showed that the concentration of sparteine
in Lupinus arcticus is higher at night and lowest in the
afternoon. In fact, the sparteine concentration could be
nearly 5 times lower in the afternoon hours. The
production of alkaloids is typically linked to
photosynthesis and would usually have the highest
concentrations in the day, like in other lupine species.
It is thought that the timing of this concentration
developed as a defensive response to the grazing cycle of
the snowshoe hare, the dominant herbivore in northern
boreal forests.
DISTRIBUTION AND
HABITAT
In North America, Lupinus arcticus is native to Alaska,
Northern Canada including British Columbia and
Alberta, Washington state, and Oregon.
Arctic lupines are frequently found in white spruce
boreal forests, subalpine ridges or mountainsides, alpine
meadows, and along roadsides. It prefers well-drained
soil and partial shade.
Arctic
Arctic Lupine
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CLASSIFICATION
SCIENTIFIC
NAME
RANK
(COMMON
NAME)
Plantae (plantes,
Kingdom Planta, Vegetal,
plants)
Viridiplantae
Subkingdom
(green plants)
Streptophyta
Infrakingdom
(land plants)
Superdivision Embryophyta
Tracheophyta
Division (vascular plants,
tracheophytes)
Spermatophytina
(spermatophytes,
Subdivision
seed plants,
phanérogames)
Class Magnoliopsida
Superorder Rosanae
Order Fabales
Fabaceae (peas,
Family
legumes)
Lupinus L.
Genus
(lupine, lupins)
Lupinus
arcticus S.
Species
Watson (arctic
lupine)
Direct
Children:
Lupinus arcticus
ssp. arcticus S.
Subspecies
Watson (arctic
lupine)
Lupinus arcticus
ssp.
subalpinus (Piper
Subspecies
& B.L. Rob.) D.B.
Dunn (subalpine
lupine)
REFERENCES AND FURTHER
READING
Guidebook
Guidebook
Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers, Pratt, Verna E. pg
11
Uses/
Uses/Toxicity
Toxicity
Diurnal cycle of sparteine production in Lupinus
arcticus, Sharam and Turkington, Canadian Journal of
Botony
Fabaceae Lupinus arcticus S. Wats., Native American
Ethnobotany Database
Classification/
Classification/Taxonomy
Taxonomy
Lupinus arcticus S. Watson
Watson, ITIS Database
Lupinus arcticus S. Watson arctic lupine, USDA
Database
Identification
Identification And
And Information
Information
Lupinus arcticus, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
Arctic Lupine (Lupinus arcticus), PlantWatch –
naturewatch.ca
TTA
AGG SS
PURPLE, WILDFLOWERS
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