Burke: Delphinium leucophaeum vs. Delphinium nuttallii

	Delphinium leucophaeum	Delphinium nuttallii
	pale larkspur	Nuttall's larkspur
Habit		Crisp-puberulent, eglandular perennial from small, globose, fleshy roots, the single stems 3-6 dm. tall.
Leaves		Leaves long-petiolate, evenly distributed, the blades up to 10 cm. broad, 3-4 times dissected into narrowly lanceolate or linear segments.
Flowers		Inflorescence simple to compound, the racemes spike-like above, the lower pedicels exceeding the numerous, crowded flowers; sepals 5, deep bluish-purple, 7-12 mm. long, slightly spreading, with a conspicuous median, pubescent, greenish band; spur equal to the sepals; petals 4, small, the lower pair deep purplish-blue, shallowly cleft, the upper pair light blue; stamens numerous; pistils 3.
Fruits		Follicles about 15 mm. long, slightly bent.

	Delphinium leucophaeum	Delphinium nuttallii
Flowering time	May-June	May-June
Habitat	Bluffs, open ground, and moist lowland meadows where undisturbed.	Gravelly outwash prairies and basaltic cliffs.
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 west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Washington to Willamette Valley, 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. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. nuttallianum, 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: 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 nuttallii

pale larkspur

Nuttall's larkspur

Habit

Crisp-puberulent, eglandular perennial from small, globose, fleshy roots, the single stems 3-6 dm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves long-petiolate, evenly distributed, the blades up to 10 cm. broad, 3-4 times dissected into narrowly lanceolate or linear segments.

Flowers

Inflorescence simple to compound, the racemes spike-like above, the lower pedicels exceeding the numerous, crowded flowers;

sepals 5, deep bluish-purple, 7-12 mm. long, slightly spreading, with a conspicuous median, pubescent, greenish band;

spur equal to the sepals;

petals 4, small, the lower pair deep purplish-blue, shallowly cleft, the upper pair light blue;

stamens numerous;

pistils 3.

Fruits

Follicles about 15 mm. long, slightly bent.

Delphinium leucophaeum

Delphinium nuttallii

Flowering time

May-June

Habitat

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

Gravelly outwash prairies and basaltic cliffs.

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]