Burke: Delphinium leucophaeum vs. Delphinium menziesii

	Delphinium leucophaeum	Delphinium menziesii
	pale larkspur	Menzies larkspur
Habit		Glabrous to pubescent perennial from several small tubers, the single, simple or branched stem 1-5 dm. tall.
Leaves		Leaves mostly cauline, only the basal ones long-petiolate, the blades 3-7 cm. broad, 2-3 times dissected, the ultimate segments comparatively few, narrowly oblong.
Flowers		Inflorescence simple to compound, the racemes 3-20 flowered, open and loose, the pedicels from sub-equal to the flowers to several times as long; sepals 5, deep blue, 12-18 mm. long, the spur 13-15 mm. long, much longer than the upper sepal; petals 4, small, the lower pair blue, lightly veined and shallowly notched, the upper pair white or light blue; stamens numerous; pistils 3.
Fruits		Follicles 9-16 mm. long, erect to spreading, densely pubescent.

	Delphinium leucophaeum	Delphinium menziesii
Flowering time	May-June	April-July
Habitat	Bluffs, open ground, and moist lowland meadows where undisturbed.	Coastal bluffs and prairies to moist meadows and forest openings at moderate elevations in the mountains.
Distribution	Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from Lewis County in Washington; Lewis County, Washington to Willamette Valley, Oregon. [WildflowerSearch map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native	Native
Conservation status	Endangered in Washington (WANHP)	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	D. ajacis, D. basalticum, D. ×burkei, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. glareosum, D. glaucum, D. lineapetalum, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. occidentale, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. trolliifolium, D. viridescens, D. xantholeucum	D. ajacis, D. basalticum, D. ×burkei, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. glareosum, D. glaucum, D. leucophaeum, D. lineapetalum, D. multiplex, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. occidentale, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. trolliifolium, D. viridescens, D. xantholeucum
Web links	Local floras: OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Delphinium leucophaeum

Delphinium menziesii

pale larkspur

Menzies larkspur

Habit

Glabrous to pubescent perennial from several small tubers, the single, simple or branched stem 1-5 dm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves mostly cauline, only the basal ones long-petiolate, the blades 3-7 cm. broad, 2-3 times dissected, the ultimate segments comparatively few, narrowly oblong.

Flowers

Inflorescence simple to compound, the racemes 3-20 flowered, open and loose, the pedicels from sub-equal to the flowers to several times as long;

sepals 5, deep blue, 12-18 mm. long, the spur 13-15 mm. long, much longer than the upper sepal;

petals 4, small, the lower pair blue, lightly veined and shallowly notched, the upper pair white or light blue;

stamens numerous;

pistils 3.

Fruits

Follicles 9-16 mm. long, erect to spreading, densely pubescent.

Delphinium leucophaeum

Delphinium menziesii

Flowering time

May-June

April-July

Habitat

Bluffs, open ground, and moist lowland meadows where undisturbed.

Coastal bluffs and prairies to moist meadows and forest openings at moderate elevations in the mountains.

Distribution

Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known only from Lewis County in Washington; Lewis County, Washington to Willamette Valley, Oregon.

[WildflowerSearch map]