Taxon Report

Lupinus arboreus Sims var. eximius (Burtt Davy) C.P. Sm

San Mateo tree lupine

Print Report


Taxon Summary

Lupinus arboreus var. eximius, commonly known as San Mateo tree lupine, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 90 to 550 meters. Lupinus arboreus var. eximius is ranked 3.2, Plants About Which We Need More Information, A Review List; Moderately threatened in California.

  Classification
Scientific Name:
 Lupinus arboreus Sims var. eximius (Burtt Davy) C.P. Sm
Common Name:
 San Mateo tree lupine
Family: Fabaceae
Element Code: PDFAB2B570
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:
  • Lupinus eximius Burtt Davy

Ecology and Life History
Lifeform: perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul Apr-Jul
Elevation: 90-550 (295-1805)
General Habitats: Chaparral, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status
CA Rare Plant Rank: 3.2
Global Rank: G2Q
State Rank:
 S2
State List: None
Fed List: None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
Total Occurrences: 0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
   Excellent (A) 0
   Good (B) 0
   Fair (C) 0
   Poor (D) 0
   None (X) 0
   Unknown (U) 0

Location
California Endemic:  True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Mateo (SMT)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Half Moon Bay (3712244), Montara Mountain (3712254)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

Threat List Total: 0
EOs with Threat Listed: Total EOs % of EOs
0 0 %

Notes
Move to List 1B? Threatened by road maintenance and non-native plants. SON Co. plants need taxonomic confirmation. Identification is very difficult; study needed. See L. arboreus in The Jepson Manual (1993) and TJM 2. USFWS uses the name L. arboreus var. eximius. See Erythea 3:116 (1895) for original description.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 29 January 2025].