May 15, 191 1 51 



THK FRUIT OK LUPINUS TIDESTROMII Greene 

 \\\ C. P. Smith 



Reference to the original description of this handsome 

 hipine discovers no mention of tlie pods and seeds, evidently Dr. 

 Greene's material having been in flower only. As I have found 

 no published reference to this species since its "birth" (Erythea 

 3: 17. 1895), I assume that some of my observations may be of 

 inter-'st. 



I have seen it nowhere except at the type locality, Pacific 

 Grove, Monterey county, California. I first collected it in 1906, 

 in flower only, but two years later secured plenty of flowering 

 and fruiting material, as well as ripened seeds. It is rather scat- 

 tered in shallow sand along the path half encircling the govern- 

 ment light house property at Point Pinos, tho little more than 

 holding its own there; but amongst the Moss Beach sand dunes, 

 a short distance to the southward, it is common and in its glory. 



At the latter place I sought it on June 2, 1908, with special 

 intent of getting fruiting specimens and seeds. Disappointment 

 .seemed to await me, however, for tho racemes in full bloom 

 were still to he had, all of the fruiting racemes in sight had 

 their pods completely dehisced, no seeds were apparent on the 

 surface of ihe white sand; but down on my knees, a more care- 

 ful search over the surface at last discovered one lone seed, then 

 a second, and .so on until some ten or twelve were brought to- 

 gether for examination. Then came the revelation. One un- 

 opened pod was seen sticking part way out of the sand, and the 

 finding thai it was one of several of an otherwise buried raceme, 

 resulted in my soon having plenty of fruiting material in vari- 

 ous stages of development. Also, a box full of mature pods, 

 kept for some days in a dry place, was found to be a quicker 

 method of securing plenty of seeds. 



The full grown pods are about one inch long, vejy succu- 

 le7it^ and terete, but shrinking considerably and becoming the 

 shape of other lupine pods upon drying, pubescent with soft 

 white hairs, '-^ to 7-seeded: seeds about 2.5x3 mm., a little less 

 than 2 mm. in thickness, mostly rhomboidal to oblongs almost 



