Naming |
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|---|---|
| Botanical Name: | Lupinus albus |
| Common Names: | Lupin; Lupine; White lupin; Egyptian lupin |
| Key Name: | |
| Parts Used: | seed; leaf |
| Sister Plants: | Lupinus angustifolius; Lupinus luteus |
| Comments: | Legume crop with high protein seeds; some varieties contain alkaloids requiring processing |
Taxonomy |
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No taxonomy linked yet. |
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Characteristics |
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| Identifying Character: | Palmate Leaves; tall spikes; pea-like flowers; hairy Pods |
| Stem: | Erect; 30-120 cm; branched; green to reddish |
| Leaves: | Palmate; 5-9 leaflets; 3-8 cm; hairy underside |
| Flowers: | White to blue; pea-shaped; 1-2 cm; terminal raceme; spring-summer |
| Fruit: | Hairy pod; 5-10 cm; contains 3-6 seeds; summer |
| Taste: | Bitter; nutty after processing |
| Odour: | faint; earthy |
| Root: | Taproot; deep; nitrogen-fixing nodules |
| Image: | |
Distribution |
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| Distribution: | Mediterranean; Europe; North Africa; Americas; temperate zones |
| Cultivation: | Well-drained sandy loam; full Sun; moderate water; seed propagation; annual |
| Harvest: | Late summer; Pods dry and rattle; cut whole plants; Sun dry seeds |
Medical |
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| Therapeutic Action: | Herbal: Nutritive; Allopathic: none primary; TCM: none noted; Ayurvedic: none noted; Naturopathic: protein source |
| Medical Uses: | Allopathic: none; Herbal: high protein supplement; Naturopathic: Cholesterol Support |
| Constituents: | protein; Alkaloids; fiber; Flavonoids; Saponins; lupanine">lupanine |
| Solvents: | water (Decoction); alcohol (tincture) |
| Dosage: | tincture 5-10 ml daily; tea 1-2 cups; seed 10-30 g cooked |
| Administration: | oral; food form |
| Formulas: | none classical |
| Contraindications: | Pregnancy; unprocessed Bitter varieties; alkaloid toxicity |
| Preparation: | Decoction 20 min; soak and cook seeds to remove alkaloids |
| Chinese: | none |
| Veterinary: | Herbal: livestock feed after processing |
| Homeopathic: | none |
Pollination and Pollinators |
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| Apis: | Yes |
| Pollinator: | bees; bumblebees; collect nectar and pollen |
| Pollen: | Yes |
| Pollen Notes: | abundant pollen; good forage value |
| Nectar: | Yes |
| Nectar Notes: | spring-summer bloom; moderate nectar yield |
Other |
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| Non-Medical Uses: | food; green manure; soil improvement |
| Culinary Uses: | flour; snacks; Mediterranean dishes after debittering |
| History: | Ancient Mediterranean; Egyptian; Greek use as food and medicine |
| Reference: | Grieve M. A Modern Herbal 1931; Duke JA. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs 2002 Wikipedia Lupinus albus; USDA Plants database |
| URL: | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_albus |
| Share: | Public |
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