Delphinium andersonii
Delphinium
Anderson larkspur, Anderson's larkspur, desert larkspur
delphinium, larkspur
(20-)30-60(-90) cm;
base reddish, glabrous.
blade round, 1.5-4 × 2-6 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-30, width 2-8 mm (basal), 1-4 mm (cauline);
lobe width of proximal leaves less than 4 mm.
blade deeply palmately divided, round to pentagonal or reniform, margins entire or lobes apically crenate or lacerate, lobes of basal blades wider and fewer than those of cauline blades.
10-25-flowered, cylindric;
pedicel sigmoid (proximally spreading, distally ascending), 1-4(-6.8) cm, glabrous to puberulent;
bracteoles 2-6(-8) mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-6(-11) mm, ± puberulent.
terminal, 2-100(-more)-flowered racemes (occasionally branched, thus technically panicles), 5-40 cm or more;
bracts subtending inflorescence branches;
pedicels present or absent;
bracteoles (on pedicels) subopposite-subalternate, not forming involucre.
sepals dark blue, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading to reflexed, 9-16 × 3-7 mm, spurs horizontal to slightly ascending, often decurved apically, 12-18 mm;
lower petal blades elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-8 mm, clefts 1-4 mm;
hairs centered, mostly between claw and base of cleft, white.
bisexual, bilaterally symmetric;
sepals not persistent in fruit, 5;
upper sepal 1, spurred, 8-24 mm;
lateral sepals 2, ± ovate to elliptic, 8-18 mm;
lower sepals 2, similar to lateral sepals;
upper petals 2, spurred, enclosed in upper sepal, nectary inside tip of spur;
lower petals 2, plane, ± ovate, ± 2-lobed, clawed, 2-12 mm, nectary absent;
stamens 25-40;
filaments with base expanded;
staminodes absent between stamens and pistils;
pistils 3(-5), simple;
ovules 8-20 per pistil;
style present.
17-32 mm, 4-5.5 times longer than wide, glabrous.
follicles, aggregate, sessile, ± curved-cylindric, sides prominently veined or not;
beak terminal, straight, 2-4 mm.
seed coat cells ± brick-shaped, cell margins ± undulate, surfaces smooth.
dark brown to black (often appearing white because of air in seed coat cells), rectangular to pyramidal, often ± rough surfaced.
= 8.
= 16.
Delphinium andersonii
Delphinium
In much of its range Delphinium andersonii hybridizes occasionally with members of the D. nuttallianum complex and apparently with D. parishii in at least one site in California. These three taxa, with D. scaposum, form an interesting group in that they appear to be ecological replacements for one another, with D. parishii occupying arid, hot deserts to the south and southwest, D. andersonii growing in cooler, higher latitude and altitude deserts farther north, D. scaposum in cool deserts farther east, and D. nuttallianum at higher elevations in much of the geographic range of the other three species. Delphinium andersonii is often mistaken for D. nuttallianum. Most individuals of D. andersonii (roots much larger and more fibrous; stems solidly attached to roots; fruits long, narrow, erect; inflorescences usually longer and narrower at base; and pedicel sigmoid) can easily be distinguished from D. nuttallianum (roots smaller and not fibrous; stems tenuously attached to roots; fruits shorter, proportionally thicker, spreading; inflorescences relatively shorter and wider at base; and pedicel nearly straight).
Although roots of Delphinium andersonii are quite similar to those of D. antoninum, the two taxa may be readily distinguished by most features that separate D. nuttallianum from D. andersonii. The name Delphinium menziesii was misapplied to D. andersonii by S. Watson.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species ca. 300 (61 in the flora).
Three Eurasian species of Delphinium–D. elatum Linnaeus, D. grandiflorum Linnaeus, and D. tatsienense Franchet–have been commonly cultivated in North America. Of the nonnative taxa, only D. elatum is sporadically naturalized, as far as is known. Isolating mechanisms in Delphinium appear to be primarily ecological, geographic, and/or temporal. Where these distinctions are disrupted, introgression often exists. Hybridization occurs regularly between certain taxa, particularly in areas of disturbance (e.g., roadcuts, drainage ditches, clearcuts). The more common and easily recognized hybrids are included in the key.
Many names have been misapplied in Delphinium. The few misapplied names mentioned in discussions below refer to relatively widespread problems.
Unless otherwise noted, the key and descriptions refer to fresh material. Some features may be significantly altered by pressing; they can, however, usually be determined with a certain amount of effort and experience.
In the descriptions, "base of cleft" refers to the point where the cleft or sinus reaches most deeply into the petal blade.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Lower petal blades less than 1/5 length of lateral sepals; sepals never red or yellow. | Sect. Elatopsis |
1. Lower petal blades more than 1/5 length of lateral sepals; sepals blue, purple, white, red, or yellow. | Sect. Diedropetala |
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
WA
