Taxon Report

Lupinus elmeri Greene

South Fork Mountain lupine

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Taxon Summary

Lupinus elmeri, commonly known as South Fork Mountain lupine, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1218 to 2000 meters. Lupinus elmeri is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Lupinus elmeri Greene
Common Name:	South Fork Mountain lupine
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB2B1G0
USDA Plants Symbol:	LUEL2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Jul(Aug)	Jun-Jul(Aug)
Elevation:	1218-2000 (3995-6560)
General Habitats:	Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	16
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	8
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Humboldt (HUM), Trinity (TRI)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Blake Mountain (4012355), Forest Glen (4012333), Hyampom (4012354), Sims Mountain (4012365), Sportshaven (4012344)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	15	94 %
Logging	14	87%
Road/trail construction/maint.	7	43%
Grazing	1	6%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	1	6%

Notes



Known only from South Fork Mtn. area.
Threats:
Threatened by logging. Possibly threatened by road maintenance.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Pittonia 3:159 (1897)

Lupinus elmeri profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2022)

USFS Potential Species of Conservation Concern Profile

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 27 January 2025].