Florida Native Plant Society Blog

A newly published study of lupines in Florida names three new species, all of which are endemic. The rigorous, exhaustive study also raises the rank of one species variation to the species level, a move that may help conservation efforts to protect the species. Authors Edwin Bridges and Steve Orzell focused on the unifoliate group of the genus Lupinus in Florida for their study published in Phytoneuron . (Unifoliate species have a type of compound leaf that consists of a single leaflet.) This unifoliate-leaved group is also known to be a clade, meaning its members share a common ancestor. Bridges and Orzell obtained DNA sequencing data of the unifoliate Florida clade of Lupinus using RADseq, short for restriction-site DNA sequencing. RADseq is a relatively new, cost-effective technology that allows for comparisons of populations at the genetic level. The researchers combined their genetic data with morphologic, geographic and ecologic data — an approach known as “integrative taxonomy” ...

Lupinus cumulicola Text and photo by Roger L. Hammer, edited by Valerie Anderson From January to May each year the white sand scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge in Lake, Osceola, Polk, and Highlands Counties are adorned with the cheery blue flowers of the Florida endemic sandhill lupine (pronounced LOO-PIN).  Some botanists consider it a synonym of  Lupinus diffusus ,  but others argue that  L. diffusis differs by its habitat, range, prostrate to decumbent stems, orbicular-reniform (kidney-shaped) standard, and a nearly straight beak on the pods.  The stems of  Lupinus cumulicola  are usually erect with gray-green, silky pubescent, elliptic leaves that average 2”–3” long and about 1” wide. The pods have a curved beak. Lupinus  is taken from  lupus,  or “wolf,” and alludes to the curious belief that these plants consumed soil fertility, when, in fact, they improve the soil with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The specie...

Today's Wednesday's Wildflower features two species of Lupine, the Sandhill Lupine, submitted by Roger Hammer, and the Sundial Lupine, submitted by Bill Berthet. Edited by Valerie Anderson. Sandhill Lupine,  Lupinus cumulicola                                                          Text and photo by Roger Hammer, Dade Chapter Sandhill Lupine, Lupinus cumulicola , by Roger Hammer From January to May each year the white sand scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge in Lake, Osceola, Polk, and Highlands Counties are adorned with the cheery blue flowers of the Florida endemic skyblue lupine (pronounced LOO-PIN). Some botanists consider it a synonym of Lupinus diffusus but others argue that L. diffusus differs by its habitat, range, prostrate to decumbent stems, orbicular-reniform (kidney-shaped) standard, and a nearly straight beak on ...