BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Lupinus rivularis
streambank lupine
| Scientific Name: | Lupinus rivularis Dougl. ex Lindl. | ||||||||||
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| English Name: | streambank lupine | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Vascular Plant | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | LUPIRIV | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G2G4 (Sep 2016) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | SU (Apr 2025) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Unknown | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | Endangered (Nov 2002) | ||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | 1 - Endangered (Jan 2005) | ||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 1 - At Risk (2010) | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Technical Description: | |||||||||||
| Subspecies Comments: | None. | ||||||||||
| Identification Comments: | Lupinus rivularis is readily identified in the field by its lovely lavender flowers, erect bouquet-like form, lack of basil leaves, and black mottling on its seed pods. Additionally, it flowers early (early May) and occurs along stream and creek banks at low elevation proximate to the coast (Klinkenberg and Klinkenberg 2001). | ||||||||||
| Similar Species: | There are several native lupine species as well as hybrid plants obtained from seed packages or garden stock that could be mistaken for Lupinus rivularis. In B.C., likely look-alikes include L. littoralis (sea shore lupine), L. arcticus (arctic lupine), and L. arboreus (yellow bush lupine). L. littoralis is a coastal sand dune species. It is not restricted to riverbanks. It sports long, silky hairs and has a very different habit from L. rivularis - i.e., it is more sprawling and is not bouquet-like. L. arcticus looks very similar to L. rivularis but is not restricted to streambanks. It is found at higher elevations. The blue-flowered form of L. arboreus is readily separated from L. rivularis by being a more woody plant with leaves that fold quickly, fan-like, upon picking. It intergrades elsewhere in its range with L. rivualris where the two have hybridized. Heights for L. arboreus surpass that of L. rivularis, with plants often 1.8 to 2.4 m tall. L. polyphyllus (large-leaved lupine) x L. rivularis x L. arboreus hybrids can be confusing. Distinguishing features are the presence/absence of basal leaves, leaf-folding behaviour, and occurrence at higher elevations or away from streambanks. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Reproduction Comments: | While Lupinus rivularis produces prolific seed, there is no evidence of expansion of populations, and there have been no new reports of populations since the initial survey work was done for the COSEWIC Status Report. | ||||||||||
| Provincial Ecology Comments: | Lupinus rivularis typically occurs along creeks and streambanks on the coast in extreme southwestern B.C. It has also recently been found along a tidal slough. Natural habitat is sandy/gravelly substrate in areas that are periodically but not frequently flooded (floodplain/wet meadows and depressions behind riverbanks). It opportunistically occupies suitable habitat adjacent to railway beds and dykes where populations may have been able to persist in the face of extreme habitat loss. Because L. rivularis is not widespread and populations exhibit no signs of expansion, it appears that certain factors limit its ability to germinate. In B.C., it is found consistently in moist sites or near moist sites that can be reached by its long tap root, and where competition is low. Associated species are few, but Equisetum arvense and the moss Racomitrium canescens have been noted at all sites. | ||||||||||
| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Anthropogenic / Urban/Suburban / Facultative - frequent use
Forest / Garry Oak Woodland / Facultative - occasional use Grassland/Shrub / Meadow / Facultative - occasional use Other Unique Habitats / Mudflats - Intertidal / Facultative - occasional use Stream/River / Stream/River / Facultative - frequent use |
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| Global Habitat Comments: | Lupinus rivularis occurs on gravelly prairies, riverbanks and and open woods (Hitchcock et al. 1961). It occurs in both natural riverbank habitats as well as gravelly railway beds and dykes that have been located near creeks or riverbanks in British Columbia (COSEWIC 2002). | ||||||||||
| Provincial Habitat Comments: |
Wet to moist meadows and riverbanks in the lowland zone. |
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| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
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| Provincial Phenology Comments: | The peak flowering period for Lupinus rivularis is from early to late May, but the species continues flowering sporadically throughout the summer with flowers still present in September and October. Capsules are produced throughout the summer, and newly emergent seedlings have been observed year round. | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): | Provincial: 1 / 15 | ||||||||||
| Known Pests: | |||||||||||
| Pollen Vector: | |||||||||||
| Pollinator: | |||||||||||
| Dispersal: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Inventory | |||||||||||
| Inventory Priority: | |||||||||||
| Ownership of occurrences (Known locations): | Mixed private/government | ||||||||||
| Inventory Need: | Lupinus rivularis has been searched for extensively for several years along the Fraser River, Pitt River, and Coquitlam River, so inventory priority there would be lower but is still recommended. Additional searching on southern Vancouver Island would be beneficial. Inventory should include searching for invasions of yellow bush lupine. Few people are familiar with this species in B.C.; therefore, appropriate inventory personnel with first hand knowledge of field identification are needed to do an adequate survey. | ||||||||||
| Inventory Comments: | Under natural conditions, Lupinus rivularis is influenced by spring freshet, the disturbance caused by the seasonal flooding, and the subsequent drop in river levels, which can provide the necessary conditions to allow the seeds in the seed bank to be exposed and germinate (Klinkenberg and Klinkenberg 2001). It is possible that new populations will appear in previously searched areas. It is also possible that artificial disturbance will expose seeds in new areas. | ||||||||||
| Economic Attributes | |||||||||||
| Provincial Economic Comments: | Lupines are grown as a crop and used for revegetation, but Lupinus rivularis is not. Lupines are also important in the horticultural industry, and seeds of L. rivularis are reportedly sold in Canada. | ||||||||||
| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | This species extends from California north through Oregon and Washington to the most southern portion of British Columbia (COSEWIC 2002). | ||||||||||
| Disjunct, more common elsewhere: | N | ||||||||||
| Peripheral, major distribution elsewhere: | Y | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | |||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | B. Klinkenberg | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | |||||||||||
| Last Literature Search: | |||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
B.C. Ministry of Environment. Recovery Planning in BC. B.C. Minist. Environ. Victoria, BC. |
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Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). 2002. Species assessments from the November 2002 COSEWIC meeting. Accessed online: November 2002. Available: http://www.cosewic.ca/index.php/en-ca/assessment-process. |
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Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Penny. 2002. Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia, 2nd ed. B.C. Conserv. Data Centre, Terrestrial Inf. Branch, Victoria. 358pp. |
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Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger, and J. Pojar. eds. 1999. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Vol. 3, Dicotyledons (Diapensiaceae through Onagraceae). B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Minist. For., Victoria. 423pp. |
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Hickman, C.P. 1961. A synoptic review of the animal phyla. Excerpted and abridged from C.P. Hickman, 1961. Integrated Principles of Zoology, 2nd edition. C.V. Mosby, St. Louis, MO. |
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Klinkenberg, B. 2005. Lupinus rivularis Dougl. ex Lindl. Streambank (Riverbank) Lupine. Conservation Biology and Biogeography Research. Dep. Geogr. Univ. B.C. Online. Available: http://www.geog.ubc.ca/~brian/lupinusrivularis.htm |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. Species Summary: Lupinus rivularis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Mar 11, 2026).