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Delphinium viridescens

Wenatchee larkspur

Delphinium distichum

two-spike larkspur

Habit Stout perennial from a short rhizome, the several hollow stems 8-12 dm. tall, glabrous below but with copious stalked, yellow glands above and throughout the inflorescence. Sturdy, grey-puberulent perennial from fleshy roots, the stems 4-7 dm. tall.
Leaves

Basal and lower cauline leaves long-petiolate, the blades up to 10 cm. broad, divided into 3 main wedge-shaped lobes, these once or twice cleft into oblong-rounded segments; mid-cauline leaves short-petiolate and overlapping, nearly erect, divided into narrow, acute segments, abruptly transitional to the lower leaves, but gradually transitional to the linear, entire, bract-like upper leaves.

Basal and lower cauline leaves long-petiolate, the blades 4-6 cm. broad and divided nearly to the base into 3 segments, which are twice divided into broad segments; lower leaves abruptly transitional into mid-stem leaves, which are short-petiolate, very numerous and overlapping, and finely divided into linear segments.

Flowers

Inflorescence usually a simple, narrow raceme, the pedicels shorter than the flowers;

sepals 5, purplish, but strongly streaked with yellow or greenish-yellow, oblanceolate, glandular, 7-11 mm. long;

spur thick, straight, 7-10 mm. long;

petals 4, yellowish or purple, the lower pair densely soft-hairy, equaling the sepals;

stamens numerous;

pistils 3.

Inflorescence a many-flowered, spike-like raceme, the pedicels shorter than the calyx spur and strongly ascending;

sepals 5, bluish-purple with lighter streaks, cupped forward, 7-9 mm long, oblong, the spur 11-17 mm. long;

petals 4, small, the lower pair blue, lobed, the upper pair white;

stamens numerous;

pistils 3.

Fruits

Follicles 6-8 mm. long, erect, densely glandular-pubescent.

Follicles 8-12 mm. long, erect, usually glandular.

Delphinium viridescens

Delphinium distichum

Flowering time June-July May-July
Habitat Boggy meadowlands. Vernally wet swales and meadows, in sagebrush or ponderosa pine forest.
Distribution
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains of Chelan and Kittitas counties.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to Montana and Wyoming.
[WildflowerSearch map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Threatened in Washington (WANHP) Not of concern
Sibling taxa
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. nuttallii, D. occidentale, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. trolliifolium, D. xantholeucum
D. ajacis, D. basalticum, D. ×burkei, D. depauperatum, D. glareosum, D. glaucum, D. leucophaeum, D. lineapetalum, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. occidentale, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. trolliifolium, D. viridescens, D. xantholeucum
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