Andean lupin
Lupinus mutabilis

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

An erect annual herb. It grows to 1.5 m tall. It has a thick taproot. It can keep growing from year to year. The stems are branched, woody and mostly without hairs. The leaves have leaflets arranged like fingers on a hand. There are 7-9 leaflets. These are oblong and about 6 cm long by 1.4 cm wide. They are hairy underneath. The flowers are large and have a smell. They are about 2 cm long. The standard is white and blue with a yellow mark in the centre. Many flowers (50-70%) fall off without forming pods. The fruit is a pod. It is finely hairy and does not split open before falling in cultivated varieties. The pods are oblong but pointed at both ends. There can be 130 pods on a plant. The seeds bulge towards the centre. They are 8-10 mm long and 6-8 mm wide. The colour can vary from black to light grey.

Cooked seeds are 20% protein. There are about 200 Lupinus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Papua New Guinea it grows in high altitude regions at about 2,600 m. It has cold resistance. In the Andes they grow from 2,000 to 3,850 m altitude. It does not do well under high humidity and cannot tolerate drought at flowering. It requires 350-800 mm rainfall. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andes, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Central America, Chile, Colombia, East Africa, Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Peru, South America, Tanzania, Venezuela

How it is used for food

The seeds are soaked overnight and the water discarded, then the beans cooked. CAUTION: The seeds contain poisonous alkaloids which are bitter, before soaking and washing. Varieties free of alkaloid are available. Up to 15% of lupin flour has been added to bread flour. The seeds are used in soups, stews and made into flour.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. An important traditional crop in the Andes.

Edible parts

Seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed. Rates of 100-120 kg per hectare are used. The seed is broadcast.

The growing cycle varies between 150 and 360 days. Average yields in the Andes are 300-600 kg per hectare although yields from 3,500 kg to 7,000 kg are possible.

Its other names

Local names

Altramuz, Ccequela, Chochito, Chocho, Chuchus, Lupino, Pearl lupin, South American lupin, Tarvi, Tarwi, Tauri, Tawri

Synonyms

Lupinus cruckshanksii Hook.; Lupinus tauris Hook.;