Garden Lupin

Lupinus polyphyllus, the garden Lupin
There are about 300 species of lupins globally.  The lupin belongs to the pea family.  Like other relatives, they have a mutualistic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in root nodules.  This allows them to live in nutrient-poor soils.  They have a large root system and propagates asexually by sending rhizomes under the ground.  Lupins are also perennials, meaning that they overwinter and return the following year.  These facts combined make them a favourable species for slope stabilization. 

 The garden lupin is grown for its attractive flowers; seeds can be purchased locally.  Although beautiful when in full bloom, these floral pinnacles have a downside.  Many species contain alkaloids and are toxic.  They easily out-compete other plants in poor soil because of their nitrogen-fixing properties and can take over, crowding out other desirable species.  Then there is the "butterfly effect," where the garden variety hybridizes with other species making them unpalatable for native Lepidoptera that depend upon certain types of native lupins.

The news is not all bad.  There are species of lupins which are edible and, in fact, extremely useful.  Being part of the pea family, their seeds are high in protein and can be used to make flours useful in baking.  The roots of some species have been consumed by natives; caution is needed in both cases as the alkaloids can cause illness or even death if taken in significant quantities.  As with most plant species, it is best to know for certain before eating any part of it.

One thing that I read did fascinate me.  Lupins are capable of launching their seeds "ballistically."  My mind visualizes pods of small, dense seeds being propelled a significant distance.  Although the truth is not quite so dramatic, I learned that the seed pods heat up by the sun and explode, sending the contents soaring through the air.  The fact that lupins can be 4 feet tall gives them the ability to get some distance from this dispersal mechanism.  If you want to see the effect, click on this video.  It is a different species of plant but the effect is the same.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I found a black widow spider in a plant pot today

Image
The spider I found is a western black widow spider, one of three species of black widow that occur in North America.  The fact that this one has another red patch on the back of its abdomen above the spinnerettes tells us that it is an immature individual. The one thing that people know about black widow spiders is that they are extremely poisonous.  Their venom is something like 15x more toxic than that of a rattlesnake.  The saving grace is that there is very little venom injected from a black widow bite than what a rattlesnake can deliver.   The good news is that black widow bites seldom lead to death.  You are more likely to suffer nausea, muscle pain, and swelling around the bite.  Symptoms usually last only 12 hours or so.  Death may be a result in people with compromised immune systems or in the very young or the elderly.   In 2018, it was reported that there were 1015 cases of people bitten by black widows.  Of those, there ...
Read more

The passing of a generation

Image
Kathryn's mom and dad with our children, Josh and Leanne. A generation, for North America, tends to be between 20 and 30 years.  During that time a couple will give birth and raise children to see them repeat the pattern as they themselves have done.  Each generation has its own set of standards, values, and ideals based upon their experiences and culture, and some of that is passed down to their offspring.  What changes are the life experiences of the following generation and the new customs and ideals that are blended together as a couple becomes a family. Kathryn's mom passed away a few days ago, she was predeceased by her husband several years ago.  Both of them were the grandparents of my children, the mother and father of my wife, Kathryn.  It was my pleasure to know them and to love them as my own, for to me they were Mom and Dad.  And they were there to welcome my children into the world just as my children were with them in spirit when they left it...
Read more

Hang in there, things will get better.

Image
The Svendsen Family - Eric, Samuel, Leanne, Joshua (top row), Nora, Kathryn, Chanelle, Emma If I could go back, in my mind, to a day in my life when I was really down, it would be nice to be able to see into the future.  If could see things as they are today, with the many blessings that have been given to me, it would give me hope knowing that things wouldn't always be so discouraging.   The message here is we do not know what the future holds.  When things are bad, it is hard to raise your head out of the mire to see beyond the darkness.  There are no guarantees, of course, that things will be better, but I think it is true that fortunes ebb and flow as tides do.  The trick is to see beyond the low points and not be too haughty during the high ones.  I know that, at this moment, things are very good.  What the future holds is unknown, but low and high points are likely in the forecast.   This is why taking satisfaction from the moment ...
Read more