Taxonomy: Kingdom - Plantae (plants). Subkingdom - Tracheobionta (vascular plants). Superdivision - Spermatophyta (seed plants). Division - Magnoliophyta (flowering plants). Class - Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons). Subclass - Rosidae. Order - Fabales. Family - Fabaceae (pea family). Genus - Lupinus L. (lupine) Species -Lupinus latifolius Lindl. ex J. Agardh
Broadleaf lupine is a valuable tool for rehabilitation of disturbed sites because it grows well on droughty and low-fertility sites, colonizes disturbed areas, has a deep root system for stabilizing soil, and forms associations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. It is frequently used for erosion control. Broadleaf lupine was a common colonizing species on many of the primary successional habitats after the eruption of Mount St. Helens. On debris avalanche sites at Mount St. Helens, broadleaf lupine altered local soil moisture conditions by shading and altered soil nutrient status by nitrogen fixation. On sites in the Olympic Mountains, the soils directly surrounding the nitrogen-fixing broadleaf lupine plants had twice the nitrogen, more organic matter, and more phosphorus than adjacent soils (FEIS).
There is an abundance of broadleaf lupine in a pioneer community dominated by red alder (Alnus rubra) and Sitka willow (Salix sitchensis) on Bald Mountain, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, broadleaf lupine is associated with young and developing communities but is most characteristic of the "best developed" and "most mature" meadow communities. Broadleaf lupine is a dominant species in both early seral and old-growth stands of Olympic National Forest. The rapid development of an extensive lateral root system should allow broadleaf lupine to exploit resources effectively and thus succeed in competing for water, light, and space later in succession. The presence of broadleaf lupine plants in canopy gaps of old-growth forests of coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), and western redcedar (Thuja plicata) confirms its ability to succeed in a strongly competitive environment (FEIS).
Broadleaf lupine seeds contain the teratogenic alkaloid anagyrine, which can cause crooked calf disease if a pregnant cow consumes the flowers or seed pods between the 40th and 70th days of gestation. Columbian black-tailed deer on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, eat broadleaf lupine leaves casually or when under stress. Birds eat the seeds (FEIS). Native Americans had many uses for broadleaf lupine: steamed and dried leaves and flowers were boiled and used as a relish with manzanita cider, leaves were used to line acorn leaching baskets (to prevent the meals from leaking), and tea was made from seeds to aid urination (NAEB).
