lupine

lupine
lupine1
/looh"pin/, n.
any of numerous plants belonging to the genus Lupinus, of the legume family, as L. albus (white lupine), of Europe, bearing edible seeds, or L. perennis, of the eastern U.S., having tall, dense clusters of blue, pink, or white flowers.
[1350-1400; ME < L lupinus, lupinum, appar. n. use of lupinus LUPINE2; cf. G wolfsbohne lupine, lit., wolf bean]
lupine2
/looh"puyn/, adj.
1. pertaining to or resembling the wolf.
2. related to the wolf.
3. savage; ravenous; predatory.
[1650-60; < L lupinus of a wolf, equiv. to lup(us) wolf + -inus -INE1]

* * *

or lupin

Any of about 200 species of herbaceous and partly woody plants that make up the genus Lupinus in the pea family (see legume), found throughout the Mediterranean and especially on the prairies of western North America.

Many are grown in the U.S. as ornamentals, and a few species are useful as cover or forage crops. Herbaceous lupines, which grow up to 4 ft (1.25 m) tall, have low, divided leaves and an upright flower spike, and many are hybridized for gardens. The name comes from the Latin for "wolf" because these plants were once thought to deplete, or "wolf," minerals from the soil; in actuality some species aid soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.

* * *

plant
 any member of a genus (Lupinus) of herbaceous and partly woody plants in the pea family (Fabaceae). Lupines are widely distributed in the Mediterranean area but are especially numerous on the prairies of western North America. About 200 species are known. Many are grown in the United States as ornamentals, and a few species are useful as cover and forage crops.

      The herbaceous lupines, up to 1.25 m (4 feet) tall, have low, palmately divided leaves and an upright flower spike. Through hybridization and selection some highly ornamental varieties have been developed. Especially popular in gardens are the Russell hybrids, about 1 m high, with long, dense flower spikes in a wide range of colours. The Texas bluebonnet is a lupine. In Europe and elsewhere tall species of lupines (e.g., white lupine, or wolf bean, Lupinus alba) are planted as a nitrogen-collecting winter cover crop.

      The term lupine (sometimes spelled lupin), from the Latin for “wolf,” derives from the mistaken belief that these plants depleted, or “wolfed,” minerals from the soil. The contrary is true, however; lupines aid soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air in a soil form useful for other plants.

      Wild lupine (L. perennis) and Nuttal's lupine (L. nuttallii), both with blue flower spikes, are found in dry open woods and fields of eastern North America. Spreading lupine (L. diffusa) and hairy lupine (L. villosus) are distributed throughout the southern United States. L. polyphyllus, from the Pacific Northwest, is becoming abundant in the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lupine — may be one of several things:*Something that is like, or relating to, a wolf ( canis lupus ). *A variant spelling for lupin, a flowering plant. *Lupine Records, a record label in Detroit. *Lupine Games, a computer game company.ee also* Lupin… …   Wikipedia

  • Lupine — Sf per. Wortschatz fach. (18. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus ml. lupīnus, das eigentlich zum Wolf gehörig bedeutet. Das Benennungsmotiv ist unklar.    Ebenso nndl. lupine, ne. lupin(e), nfrz. lupine, nschw. lupin, nisl. lúpína. lateinisch l …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • Lupine — Lu pine, a. [See {Lupine}, n.] Wolfish; ravenous. Gauden. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lupīne — (Feigbohne, Wolfsbohne, Lupinus L.), Gattung der Leguminosen, Kräuter oder Halbsträucher, selten Sträucher mit einfachen oder gefingerten, 3–15zähligen Blättern, endständigen, oft quirligen Blütentrauben und weit aus dem Kelch vorragender, meist… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • lupine — (adj.) wolf like, 1650s, from Fr. lupine wolf like, from L. lupinus of the wolf, from lupus wolf (see WOLF (Cf. wolf) (n.)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • lupine — lupine1 [lo͞o′pin] n. [ME lupyne < L lupinus < lupus, WOLF: reason for name uncert.] 1. any of a genus (Lupinus) of plants of the pea family, with palmately compound leaves, racemes of white, rose, yellow, or blue flowers, and pods… …   English World dictionary

  • Lupine — Lu pine, n. [L. lupinus, lupinum, apparently fr. lupinus belonging to a wolf, fr. lupus a wolf; perh. so called because it was supposed to exhaust the soil: cf. F. lupin. Cf. {Wolf}.] (Bot.) A leguminous plant of the genus {Lupinus}, especially… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lupine — Lupīne, Feig oder Wolfsbohne (Lupīnus L.), Pflanzengattg. der Leguminosen, Kräuter, bes. in den Mittelmeerländern. Weiße L. (L. albus L. [Abb. 1095; a Blüte, b Hülse, c Same]), Orient; rauhhaarige L. (L. hirsūtus L.), Arabien, Spanien;… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Lupine — (lupinus), Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Leguminosen in mehren Arten; am bekanntesten ist die weiße L. od. Feigbohne, die auf den Aeckern als Grünfutter u. besonders zur Gründüngung angebaut wird …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • lupine — index predatory, rapacious Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Lupine — Lupine: Der seit dem 18. Jh. bezeugte Name der Zier und Futterpflanze ist aus gleichbed. lat. lupinum, lupinus »Wolfsbohne« entlehnt. Dies gehört zu lat. lupus »Wolf«. Das Benennungsmotiv ist allerdings unklar …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”