The Texas State Flower is this Bluebonnet

OR Is it?
The photo above Lupinus texensis which the variety that most associate as being the Texas State Flower. Actually it is now, but it was not the first lupine to be designated the State Flower of Texas. After some heated debate on March 7, 1901, the Lupinus subcarnosus variety (shown below) was designated as the official State Flower of Texas.

Although the law passed without any opposition, it kicked off a 70 year long debate on whether the Lupinus subcarnosus truly should be the species of Lupinus to represent Texas. Most opposed to the Lupinus subcarnous wanted the showier Lupinus texensis to be declared the proper floral representation of Texas.  To put aside this and any further potential debate about the subject the Texas Legislature wisely decided in 1971 with H.C.R. 44 to include any variety of bluebonnet growing in Texas.

RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of
Texas, the Senate concurring, That the Lupinus Texensis and any
other variety of bluebonnet not heretofore recorded be recognized
along with the Lupinus Subcarnosus as the official state flower
of the State of Texas. - HCR 44, 62nd Regular Session

As of today there are six varieties of bluebonnet recognized at the State Flower of Texas.

• Lupinus subcarnosus - Found mostly in the sandy soils of South Texas including Poteet, Floresville. Hence the nickname, "Sandyland" bluebonnet.
• Lupinus texensis - Generally found in areas north of South Texas including Hill Country, Ennis, and Brenham
• Lupinus havardii - Big Bend Area
• Lupinus concinnus - Trans-Pecos area
• Lupinus plattensis - Texas Panhandle
• Lupinus perennis - East Texas and Louisiana border

References:

TEXAS BLUEBONNETS -- TEXAS PRIDE by JERRY M. PARSONS, STEVE GEORGE AND GREG GRANT :   https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/p...

HCR 44, 62nd Regular Session:    http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/LASDOCS/62...

The Texas Bluebonnet by Jean Andrews