Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

Lupinus argenteus (Silvery lupine) has several documented ethnobotanical preparations involving infusions, decoctions, tinctures, macerations, or poultices. Native groups in the North American West recorded poultices of crushed leaves for wound care and sores; the Cheyenne and Blackfoot reportedly prepared decoctions of leaves or whole herb for fever, pain, and “internal aches,” while Apsáalooke (Crow) people made leaf infusions for gastrointestinal discomfort. In Mesoamerica, Mixtec and Zapotec communities in Oaxaca and the southern Sierra Madre have long used a “viajero” decoction of L. argenteus seeds to treat diarrhea and related digestive upset. Leaves and aerial parts were the primary plant parts used in the Plains and Plateau regions, whereas seeds were the main material in southern Mexico (Pratt & Pfister, 1979; Moerman, 1998; Van Veen, 1995).

One practical recipe—Mild tea (North American style): For fever or internal discomfort, use 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) of dried leaf and aerial parts per cup of hot (not boiling) water. Steep 10–15 minutes, strain, and drink up to two cups per day for up to 5 days. If the first cup causes dizziness or nausea, stop. High or prolonged doses can concentrate lupine alkaloids and are unsafe. Pregnancy and nursing should avoid use; children should not be given this tea. Older adults with kidney, liver, or heart conditions should consult a clinician first. This method is reported among Plains and Plateau groups, notably Blackfoot and Apsáalooke (Moerman, 1998; Pratt & Pfister, 1979).

Modern relevance: Today, L. argenteus remains rare in commerce due to toxic alkaloids; most modern products marketed for “lupin” contain the European grain lupin (L. albus) and not L. argenteus. Contemporary work confirms modest antidiarrheal and anti-inflammatory effects in laboratory tests, and several Native communities continue regional use of leaf infusions and seed decoctions for digestive issues and fever (Villarreal et al., 2012; Moerman, 1998).

General Uses Top

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Synonyms Top

Scientific name	Authority	First published in
Lupinus argenteus var. argenteus	Pursh
Lupinus argenteus var. stenophyllus	(Rydb.) R.J.Davis

Common names Top

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Filter by language:

Language	Common/alternative name
English	silver-stem lupine
English	silvery lupine
Arabic	ترمس فضي
Icelandic	melrakkalúpína
nv	azeeʼbíniʼí

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Name	Authority	First published in
Lupinus argenteus subsp. argenteus		Unknown
Lupinus argenteus subsp. spathulatus	(Rydb.) L.W.Hess & D.B.Dunn	Rhodora72: 111 (1970)

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Name	Authority	First published in
Lupinus argenteus var. fulvomaculatus	(Payson) Barneby	Great Basin Naturalist46: 257 (1986)
Lupinus argenteus var. laxiflorus	(Lindl.) Dorn	Vasc. Pl. Wyoming: 297 (1988)
Lupinus argenteus var. moabensis	S.L.Welsh	Great Basin Naturalist46: 262 (1986)
Lupinus argenteus var. myrianthus	(Greene) Isely	Native Natural. Legum. U.S.: 687 (1998)
Lupinus argenteus var. palmeri	(S.Watson) Barneby	Great Basin Naturalist46: 257 (1986)
Lupinus argenteus var. parviflorus	(Nutt.) C.L.Hitchc.	Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W.3: 302 (1961)
Lupinus argenteus var. rubricaulis	(Greene) S.L.Welsh	Great Basin Naturalist38: 326 (1978)

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:

- Doubtful data

- Extinct

- Introduced

- Native

Northern America click to expand
- Mexico
  - Mexico Northeast
  - Mexico Northwest
- North-central U.S.A.
  - Nebraska
  - North Dakota
  - South Dakota
- Northwestern U.S.A.
  - Colorado
  - Idaho
  - Montana
  - Oregon
  - Washington
  - Wyoming
- South-central U.S.A.
  - New Mexico
- Southwestern U.S.A.
  - Arizona
  - California
  - Nevada
  - Utah
- Western Canada
  - British Columbia
  - Saskatchewan

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!

Database	ID/link to page
World Flora Online	wfo-0000174689
Canadensys	9887
USDA Plants	LUAR3
Tropicos	13036922
KEW	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:317393-2
The Plant List	ild-20792
Open Tree Of Life	1015263
Observations.org	210755
NCBI Taxonomy	53216
Nature Serve	2.156602
IUCN Red List	19892530
IPNI	317393-2
iNaturalist	62691
iNaturalist	81044
GBIF	2964374
Freebase	/m/07k60yl
EPPO	LUPAR
EOL	640961
Elurikkus	342656
Calflora (Californian flora)	5109
USDA GRIN	22809
Wikipedia	Lupinus_argenteus

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.

Title

Authors

Publication

Released

IDs

Food and time: dietary plasticity of different sources of a generalist insect herbivore

Hernandez K, Bowers MD

J Insect Sci

28-Mar-2024

PMCID:	PMC10976908
doi:	10.1093/jisesa/ieae024
PMID:	38546354

Pollen chemical and mechanical defences restrict host-plant use by bees

Rivest S, Muralidhar M, Forrest JR

Proc Biol Sci

13-Mar-2024

PMCID:	PMC10932708
doi:	10.1098/rspb.2023.2298
PMID:	38471551

The Art of War with Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Targeting Mex Efflux Pumps Directly to Strategically Enhance Antipseudomonal Drug Efficacy

Avakh A, Grant GD, Cheesman MJ, Kalkundri T, Hall S

Antibiotics (Basel)

09-Aug-2023

PMCID:	PMC10451789
doi:	10.3390/antibiotics12081304
PMID:	37627724

Evaluation of efflux pump inhibitory activity of some plant extracts and using them as adjuvants to potentiate the inhibitory activity of some antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus

Al-Sallami D, Alsultan A, Abbas KH, Clarke SR

Open Vet J

09-Jan-2023

PMCID:	PMC9897506
doi:	10.5455/OVJ.2023.v13.i1.5
PMID:	36777436

Legume germination is delayed in dry soils and in sterile soils devoid of microbial mutualists: Species‐specific implications for upward range expansions

Keeler AM, Rafferty NE

Ecol Evol

23-Aug-2022

PMCID:	PMC9398887
doi:	10.1002/ece3.9186
PMID:	36016820

A Global Overview of Diversity and Phylogeny of the Rust Genus Uromyces

Gautam AK, Avasthi S, Verma RK, Sushma, Niranjan M, Devadatha B, Jayawardena RS, Suwannarach N, Karunarathna SC

J Fungi (Basel)

14-Jun-2022

PMCID:	PMC9224716
doi:	10.3390/jof8060633
PMID:	35736116

Mineral-salt supplementation to ameliorate larkspur poisoning in cattle

Stonecipher CA, Green BT, Welch KD, Gardner DR, Fritz SA, Cook D, Pfister JA

J Anim Sci

14-Apr-2022

PMCID:	PMC9115907
doi:	10.1093/jas/skac133
PMID:	35419604

Variation in Plant–Pollinator Network Structure along the Elevational Gradient of the San Francisco Peaks, Arizona

Chesshire PR, McCabe LM, Cobb NS

Insects

26-Nov-2021

PMCID:	PMC8704280
doi:	10.3390/insects12121060
PMID:	34940148

Flavonoids as Inhibitors of Bacterial Efflux Pumps

Waditzer M, Bucar F

Molecules

16-Nov-2021

PMCID:	PMC8625893
doi:	10.3390/molecules26226904
PMID:	34833994

Diversity in Chemical Structures and Biological Properties of Plant Alkaloids

Bhambhani S, Kondhare KR, Giri AP

Molecules

03-Jun-2021

PMCID:	PMC8199754
doi:	10.3390/molecules26113374
PMID:	34204857

Chemical Composition, Antibacterial Activity, and Antibiotic Potentiation of Boswellia sacra Flueck. Oleoresin Extracts from the Dhofar Region of Oman

Rashan L, White A, Haulet M, Favelin N, Das P, Cock IE

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med

24-May-2021

PMCID:	PMC8169251
doi:	10.1155/2021/9918935
PMID:	34122610

Modeling geogenic and atmospheric nitrogen through the East River Watershed, Colorado Rocky Mountains

Maavara T, Siirila-Woodburn ER, Maina F, Maxwell RM, Sample JE, Chadwick KD, Carroll R, Newcomer ME, Dong W, Williams KH, Steefel CI, Bouskill NJ

PLoS One

24-Mar-2021

PMCID:	PMC7990236
doi:	10.1371/journal.pone.0247907
PMID:	33760812

Intraspecific relationships between floral signals and rewards with implications for plant fitness

Essenberg CJ

AoB Plants

20-Jan-2021

PMCID:	PMC7937183
doi:	10.1093/aobpla/plab006
PMID:	33708371

Noisy communities and signal detection: why do foragers visit rewardless flowers?

Lichtenberg EM, Heiling JM, Bronstein JL, Barker JL

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci

18-May-2020

PMCID:	PMC7331016
doi:	10.1098/rstb.2019.0486
PMID:	32420846

Growth performance and emergence of invasive alien Rumex confertus in different soil types

Kołodziejek J

Sci Rep

23-Dec-2019

PMCID:	PMC6928216
doi:	10.1038/s41598-019-56068-9
PMID:	31873118

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.

Name	PubChem ID	Canonical SMILES	MW	Found in	Proof
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Lupin alkaloids / Anagyrine-type alkaloids
(+)-Thermopsine	682648	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)CN4C3=CC=CC4=O	244.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348 https://doi.org/10.1021/JA01316A049
(1R,9S,10S)-7,15-Diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadeca-2,4-dien-6-one	6920824	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)CN4C3=CC=CC4=O	244.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348
7,14-Methano-4H,6H-dipyrido[1,2-a:1',2'-E][1,5]diazocin-4-one, 7,7a,8,9,10,11,13,14-octahydro-, [7R-(7alpha,7aalpha,14alpha)]-	91746595	Click to see	244.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
Anagyrine	5351589	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)CN4C3=CC=CC4=O	244.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JA01267A027
Monolupin	71056954	Click to see	244.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
Thermopsine	92768	Click to see	244.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JA01316A049 https://doi.org/10.1021/JA01267A027
Thermopsine perchlorate	228640	Click to see	244.33	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
> Alkaloids and derivatives / Lupin alkaloids / Sparteine, lupanine, and related alkaloids
(+)-Sparteine	7014	Click to see	234.38	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600720523
(10S)-6-hydroxy-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-8-one	139031165	Click to see	262.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
(1R,2R,10S)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadecan-6-one	163184988	Click to see	248.36	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348
(1R,2R,9R,10S)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadecan-6-one	6575009	Click to see	248.36	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348
(1R,2R,9S,10R)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadecan-6-one	92143189	Click to see	248.36	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
(1R,9R,10S)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-6-one	51018075	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)CN4C3=CCCC4=O	246.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348
(1R,9R,10S)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-8-one	6454846	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)C(=O)N4C3=CCCC4	246.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
(1R,9R)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-6-one	163185252	Click to see	246.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348
(1S,2R,9S,10S)-13-hydroxy-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadecan-6-one	101147721	Click to see	264.36	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
(1S,2S,9S,10S)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadecan-6-one	1274462	Click to see	248.36	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348
(1S,6R,9R,10R)-6-hydroxy-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-8-one	163011501	Click to see	262.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00291A019
(1S,6S,9R,10R)-6-hydroxy-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-8-one	163011500	Click to see	262.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00291A019
(1S,9R,10R)-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-8-one	12306739	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)C(=O)N4C3=CCCC4	246.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00291A019
6,9-Dihydroxy-7,15-diazatetracyclo[7.7.1.02,7.010,15]heptadec-2-en-8-one	14583426	Click to see	278.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00291A019
alpha-Isolupanine	119201	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)CN4C3CCCC4=O	248.36	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348 https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
Aphyllidine	12306738	Click to see	246.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
Argyrolobine	442942	Click to see	262.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
D-Gluconate 6-phosphate tris(cyclohexylamine) salt	16212687	Click to see	234.38	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
NoName_4032	12306737	Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)C(=O)N4C3=CCCC4	246.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1021/JO00291A019
Sparteine	644020	Click to see	234.38	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348 https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3
Sparteine non-stereo	3966	Click to see	234.38	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600720523 https://doi.org/10.1002/JPS.2600670348
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyridines and derivatives / Hydropyridines / Tetrahydropyridines
1-(3,4-Dihydro-5-(2R)-2-piperidinyl-1(2H)-pyridinyl)ethanone	442625	Click to see	208.30	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-1978(94)90052-3

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Lupinus argenteus

Table of Contents

Details Top

Ethnobotanical Use Top

General Uses Top

Synonyms Top

Common names Top

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Germination/Propagation Top

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Links to other databases Top

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Scientific Literature Top

Phytochemical Profile Top

Gallery Top

Contributors Top

Collections Top