lupine

n. [ L. lupinus, lupinum, apparently fr. lupinus belonging to a wolf, fr. lupus a wolf; perh. so called because it was supposed to exhaust the soil: cf. F. lupin. Cf. Wolf. ] (Bot.) A leguminous plant of the genus Lupinus, especially Lupinus albus, the seeds of which have been used for food from ancient times. The common species of the Eastern United States is Lupinus perennis. There are many species in California. [ 1913 Webster ]