There is some doubt over this name. The reports of use as a food refer to Lupinus hirsutus, but that name has been wrongly applied in the past. Most reports for Lupinus hirsutus refer either to Lupinus micranthus Guss. (mainly older reports prior to the 1960's) or Lupinus pilosus L. (mainly more recent reports from the 1960's onwards).We believe that the reports of edibility most likely refer to Lupinus pilosus, and is so treated here.

Common Name:

General Information

Lupinus pilosus is an erect, annual plant with stems that branch from above; it can grow 30 - 70cm tall
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as a green manure and is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens[].

Known Hazards

Lupinus species in general (and especially the seeds) contain a range of bitter-tasting alkaloids such as lupine, anagyrine, sparteine and hydroxylupanine. The pharmacological effects of these alkaloids are that they block ganglionic transmission, decrease cardiac contractility and contract uterine smooth muscle[]. When ingested in moderate to large quantities they can cause symptoms such as respiratory depression and slow heartbeat, sleepiness and convulsions[].
Alkaloid levels can vary greatly from species to species, and several members of the genus are used for food. In some species low-alkaloid, sweeter-tasting varieties have been developed. There are also techniques (particularly soaking and discarding the soak water) that lower the alkaloid levels.
Unless it is known that the plant is low in alkaloids then caution should be applied to any ingestion of the plant[].
Fungal toxins can readily invade the crushed seed and can cause chronic illness[].

Botanical References

Range

Eastern Mediterranean - Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan

Habitat

Cultivated ground and field margins[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Lupinus pilosus is a plant of the Mediterranean region, where it is found at elevations up to 800 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 12 - 18°c, but can tolerate 6 - 26°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 450 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 350 - 2,000mm[].
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any moderately good, well-drained soil in a sunny position[, ]. Tolerates soils of low fertility[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.4, tolerating 6 - 8[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[]. Used as a protein-rich vegetable or savoury dish in any of the ways that cooked beans are used, they can also be roasted or ground into a powder and used in making bread[]. If the seed is bitter this is due to the presence of toxic alkaloids and the seed should be thoroughly leached before being cooked[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The plant has been used in breeding experiments in Australia[].

The water used to leach alkaloids from the seeds of bitter forms of this plant is rich in alkaloids and can be used as an insecticide[].

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in mid spring in situ[, ]. You may need to protect the seed from mice. Germination should take place within 2 weeks.
The seed can also be sown in situ as late as early summer as a green manure crop.