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Plant Profile

Nipomo Dune Lupine (Lupinus nipomensis)

Global Rank: G1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: Federally Endangered
Family: Fabaceae
State: CA
Nature Serve ID: 148273
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection:

Description:

The total number of known plants has varied from between 100 and approximately 1,800 plants per year, depending on winter rainfall. Plants are distributed as a series of small colonies on the Guadalupe Dunes near the southwest edge of Nipomo Mesa in San Luis Obispo County, California. The primary threats to survival and recovery are competition from veldt grass (Ehrharta calycina), selective herbivory by pocket gophers, and catastrophic loss of individual colonies. Plants are annual, germinating with the first winter rains in November and completing their life cycle during the late winter and early spring (March-May). Reproductive plants vary in size, and may produce from one to many inflorescences.

Where is Nipomo Dune Lupine (Lupinus nipomensis) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Sandy soils near the coast, often in swales between or at the base of stabilized dunes. Associated species include such perennial species as Croton californicus, Ericameria ericoides, Eriogonum parvifolium, Senecio blochmaniae, and Ehrharta calycina, and several different annual taxa.

Distribution:

East side of the Guadalupe Dunes at the southwest base of Nipomo Mesa, San Luis Obispo County.

States & Provinces:

Nipomo Dune Lupine can be found in California

Which CPC Partners conserve Nipomo Dune Lupine (Lupinus nipomensis)?

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Conservation Actions

09/01/2020

Based on an September 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden holds 6 accessions of Lupinus nipomensis in orthodox seed collection. There are as many as 780 seeds of this species in their collection - although some may have been used for curation testing or sent to back up.

08/05/2020

Based on an August 2020 extract of the California Plant Rescue Database, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has collected 6 seed accessions of Lupinus nipomensis from 4 plant occurrences listed in the California Natural Diversity Database. These collections together emcompass 161 maternal plants

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Endemic to a small area in San Luis Obispo County, California. There are only 5 small populations known and these are threatened by coastal development.

01/01/2010

As listed in the final rule for endangered status for four plants from south central coastal California (USFWS 2000): The uncontrolled invasion of aggressive nonnative weeds, especially veldt grass, and the subsequent displacement of the species.

01/01/2010

Only 5-7 colonies or local populations are currently known from an area less than three square miles.

01/01/2010

Previous research has focused on habitat characteristics, life history, pests, local population size, and fruit set (Walters and Walters 1989). The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has initiated studies of seed viability and germinability, with the primary goal of determining ideal germination conditions in the natural habitat.

01/01/2010

Extant sites on private lands are managed through a cooperative program involving the California Department of Fish and Game and the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo.

01/01/2010

Protection of extant populations. Collection of seeds from remaining populations.

01/01/2010

Determination of microsite conditions favoring recruitment and survival. Experimental augmentation of population through development of seed collection by ex situ methods.