The Lupine is named after “Lupus,” the Latin word for Wolf!
Why is it Named After the Wolf?
Lupine is poisonous.When this plant was named, people thought that both the wolf and the plant killed livestock.
Although lupine is poisonous, it is an important part of a healthy habitat. After a forest fire, Lupine grows rapidly and puts vitamins and nutrients back into the soil. This helps the forest grow!
The Wolf and The Flower
The wolf howls a lonely to
The moon, whilst on the
Prowl, to that one
White flower.
The one White wolf howls
That lonely howl, to
That flower under
The midnight moon.
And he always looks for that one
White flower, that beautiful
Flower after the dawns of noon.
Alas! The beautiful white of the moon
Shines upon the White Wolf,
And that one White flower.
That one White Flower,
How she is beautiful.
How the wolf, he sings
A song of love, for he has found
That beautiful flower He has searched
For long.
And together in the light of the
Moon they walk and talk, in
Happiness.
"Poem Wolf's Rain"
The yellow legume seeds of lupins, commonly called lupin beans, were popular with the Romans, who spread the plant's cultivation throughout the Roman Empire; hence common names like lupini in Romance languages. The name 'Lupin' derives from the Latin word lupinus (meaning wolf), and was given with regard to the fact that many found that the plant has a tendency to ravage the land on which it grows. The peas, which appear after the flowering period were also said to be fit only for the consumption of wolves. Lupin beans are commonly sold in a salty solution in jars (like olives and pickles) and can be eaten with or without the skin.
Lupini dishes are most commonly found in Mediterranean countries, especially in Portugal, Egypt, and Italy, and also in Brazil. In Portugal, Spain and the Spanish Harlem they are popularly consumed with beer. In Lebanon, salty and chilled Lupini Beans are called "Termos" and are served pre-meal as part of an aperitif. The Andean variety of this bean is from the Andean Lupin (tarwi, L. mutabilis) and was a widespread food in the Incan Empire. The Andean Lupin and the Mediterranean L. albus (White Lupin), L. angustifolius (Blue Lupin), and Lupinus hirsutus are also edible after soaking the seeds for some days in salted water.Lupins were also used by Native Americans in North America, e.g., the Yavapai people. Lupins are known as altramuz in Spain and Argentina. In Portuguese the lupin beans are known as tremoços, and in Antalya (Turkey) as tirmis Edible lupins are referred to as sweet lupins because they contain smaller amounts of toxic alkaloids than the bitter lupin varieties. Newly bred variants of sweet lupins are grown extensively in Germany; they lack any bitter taste and require no soaking in salt solution. The seeds are used for different foods from vegan sausages to lupin-tofu or baking-enhancing lupin flour. (Source Wikipedia)
Remember! Spare a flower, share a flower! If you pick a flower, no one else can enjoy its beauty.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful poem
if lupine is poisonous why does it say u can eat it????
@Kathy Zeiler; it says that the bean is edible. and that the pea the is produced after the flowering is supposedly suitable for Wolves only.
But all in all, very interesting :)