Kincaid's Lupine (Lupinus oreganus var. kincaidii)

Lupinus sulphureus var. kincaidii (plant in flower) Photo Credit: Richard Helliwell

Global Rank: T2 - Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Threatened
Family: Fabaceae
State: BC, OR, WA
Nature Serve ID: 147663
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

Kincaids lupine, like many other species, is suffering from rapid decline in suitable habitat. Conversion of Willamette and Douglas Valley grasslands to agricultural lands has reduced the lupine to 57 sites, most of which are small and isolated. Fenders blue butterfly, and endangered butterfly endemic to the Willamette Valley, is heavily reliant on Kincaids lupine. The importance of the lupine for the survival of the butterfly has made the plant an important conservation target. Kincaids lupine has purple to white flowers that rapidly fade to brown. The plant flowers from April through June and is pollinated by insects. It is a low-growing plant that has been found to live as long as 25 years. While the lupine lacks vegetative propagules, distant flowering stalks are often connected by underground stems. Research suggests that this underground connection can lead to inbreeding when plants only receive pollen from within the same colony. Invasive plants can cause problems for Kincaids lupine. The plant is intolerant of prolonged shade, and can easily be shaded out by these taller plants. Controlled burning and mowing of prairie plots are used to remove invasive species and restore lupine habitats. These techniques have been found to increase lupine cover in addition to the number of Fenders blue butterfly eggs found in the habitat.

Where is Kincaid's Lupine (Lupinus oreganus var. kincaidii) located in the wild?

Habitat:

· Found at low elevations in the Willamette and Umpqua Valley, OR and Lewis County, WA (USFWS).· Found in open prairies and oak woodlands on mesic to slightly xeric soils (WHNP and BLM 1999).· The lupine is unable to survive in prolonged shade (Wilson et al. 2003).· At the southern limit of its range, Kincaids lupine occurs adjacent to serpentine outcrops (OFW 2007).

Distribution:

Regional endemic, from Douglas Co, OR, north to Lewis Co., WA.

States & Provinces:

Kincaid's Lupine can be found in British Columbia, Oregon, Washington

Which CPC Partners conserve Kincaid's Lupine (Lupinus oreganus var. kincaidii)?

Rae Selling Berry Seed Bank & Plant Conservation Program

Conservation Actions

Center for Plant Conservation

12/02/2021

Kincaid's lupine is found in native prairie remnants in the Willamette Valley, southwestern Washington and in forest openings in Douglas County, Oregon. Kincaid's lupine serves as an obligate host for the larvae of the endangered Fender's blue butterfly. In each of two years (2006 and 2007) we sowed 10 plots in 2 areas with 50 unscarified seeds. In 2007, 22% of sown seeds germinated and became established. Total cover was .33m2. In 2007 we transplanted 80 + 29 plants on South and North site. In 2007, there was low survival of transplanted lupines (3 of 29 and 2 of 80). Heavy clay soil and competition may be causing high mortality.

09/19/2020

A study on inbreeding in Kincaids lupine populations found that seed set and quality were significantly lower on plants receiving pollen from within the colony than on outcrossed racemes. Because of the plants vegetative potential, outcrossing may require pollen from distances than 10 m. Seed set was also found to increase with the number of patches, suggesting that smaller population sizes can reduce lupine reproduction. Results suggest that conservation of Kincaids lupine may depend on population augmentation, in which planting individuals from different sources facilitates outcrossing between populations (Severns 2003b). In a pollination experiment, plants did not set viable seed in the absence of insect pollinators, suggesting that the pollinators are required for seed production (Kaye 1999). In the West Eugene Wetlands, mowing of prairie plots resulted in reduction in blackberry and an increase in lupine leaf, flower, and foliar cover. Mowed plots also had higher numbers of Fenders blue butterfly eggs laid in them and higher egg-to-larva survival rates than unmowed plots did (Kaye and Thorpe 2006). Results from a study of restoration of habitat for the Fenders blue butterfly suggest that for Kincaids lupine, transplanting young seedlings may be more successful than sowing the lupine as seeds (Schultz 2001). A study of resource requirements for the Fenders blue butterfly found that butterfly density is positively associated with lupine leaf density. Results are suggestive of a threshold effect; the butterfly may require a minimum percent lupine cover to maintain high population density (Schultz and Dlugosch 1999).

09/19/2020

In germination trials, cold stratification combined with seed scarification resulted in faster and more uniform germination than any other treatments. Germination was also highest when these treatments were applied together. There were also differences in the germination success of seeds from different populations, suggesting that either seed dormancy or viability differed from source to source (Kaye and Kuykendall 2001). While seed scarification has been found to improve germination success (Kaye and Kuykendall 2001), one study found that no fitness benefits were gained from scarification in seeds sown in autumn. Scarification was also not found to increase the survivorship of plants after germination (Severns 2003a). In a propagation study, lupine establishment success was found to vary among restoration sites. Restoration sites closest to existing lupine success had the highest establishment success, with 10% and 17% survival rates, while a site more distant from an existing site had only 4% survivorship. Results also showed that the early life stages are the most vulnerable periods for the plant (Severns 2003a).

09/19/2020

Seeds collected in 1987 through 2004 from multiple sites are stored in the Berry Botanic Garden seed bank.

09/19/2020

Seeds collected in 1987 through 2004 from multiple sites are stored in the Berry Botanic Garden seed bank.

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Lupinus oreganus var. kincaidii (sometimes recognized as Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii or var. kincaidii) occurs in a narrow range west of the Cascades from Douglas County, Oregon to Lewis County, Washington. ?It is considered extirpated in British Columbia. This lupine occurs in small populations with remnant stands of native grassland. Its sites are widely scattered. A primary threat is heavy infestations of alien plants; past threats include agriculture and urbanization.