Lupinus perennis subsp. perennis (redirected from: Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis )
Family: Fabaceae
Sundial Lupine
[Lupinus perennis f. albiracemus A.H.Moore, moreLupinus perennis f. bicolor Farw., Lupinus perennis f. roseus Britton, Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis]
Infrequent to frequent in the counties indicated on the map, including Lake County, but there are no reports outside this area. This species grows only in dry and very sandy soil and is found on roadside knolls, in sandy, fallow fields, and in open, black oak woods, especially on the dunes about Lake Michigan where it formerly covered acres. The usual color of the flowers is blue but they vary from blue to bluish purple, rose, and white. In a large colony one can generally find white forms and usually individuals that are rose color. I find a note on the label of one of my specimens as follows: "Flowers pure white when collected. When taken out of the press a few hours later the flowers were rose color. After drying in a press to which heat had been applied the flowers were blue." The fact that the pubescence varies in density and in length has led to the naming of the more pubescent form which most authors now ignore. The several color forms also bear names which I am omitting.