200 Years. 200 Stories. Story
140: “Common in North America
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Common in North America
Come behind the scenes with us today into the Academy’s Herbarium for a surprising glimpse at a plant you may have seen before. Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are a genus of plants common throughout North America. This specimen is among the almost 1.5 million housed in the Academy’s Herbarium. Plants of the Fabaceae (bean family), which include clovers, lupines, and beans, are known primarily by their distinctive bean-like fruit type known as a legume. Many species have nodules on their roots which contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Botany Collection Manager Alina Freire-Fierro is currently conducting molecular and morphological studies on Polygalaceae, a family closely related to the Fabaceae.
Get to know another of our accomplished botanists.
Photography: Cora Rivera.