Lupinus pusillus (rusty lupine or dwarf lupine) is an annual plant in the legume family (fabaceae) found in the Colorado Plateau and Canyonlands region of the southwestern United States. :159Growth pattern. It is an annual plant growing up to 9 inches (23 cm) tall. "Pusillus is for the small size of the plant. :159Leaves and stems. Leaves are compound palmate with 3-9 1-2 to 1 1-2 inches (1. 3 to 3. 8 cm) long inversely lance- shaped leaflets. :159Plant stems and leaf stems (petioles) have long spreading hairs. :159Inflorescence and fruit. It blooms from April to June. :159Flowers are in stalks of 4-38 and bluish to purple or bicolored, with a yellow spot on the upper petal. :159Seedpods are nearly oval and have constrictions separating the seeds. :159Habitat and range. It can be found in desert shrubl and pinyon juniper woodland communities, from as far north as Washington, to California, and throughout the southwest. :159When growing in reddish sand, the blue flowers make a striking contrast with the sun at a low angle. :159Ecological and human interactions. It is pollinated by bees. :159