FNA: Delphinium barbeyi vs. Delphinium polycladon

	Delphinium barbeyi	Delphinium polycladon
	Barbey larkspur, Barbey's larkspur, subalpine larkspur, tall larkspur	high mountain larkspur, mountain marsh larkspur
Stems	50-150 cm; base green, glabrous.	(20-)60-100(-160) cm; base reddish or not, glabrous.
Leaves	blade round to reniform, 4-8 × 7-15 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-9, width 8-50 mm.	blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-7 × 2-14 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 4-30(-45) mm (basal), 3-30 mm (cauline).
Inflorescences	10-50-flowered; pedicel 0.5-6 cm, glandular-puberulent; bracteoles 1-4(-8) mm from flowers, blue to green, awl-shaped, 5-14 mm, puberulent.	3-15(-35)-flowered, open, often ± secund; pedicel 1-4(-15) cm, glabrous to puberulent; bracteoles 2-8(-37) mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-7(-11) mm, nearly glabrous.
Flowers	sepals dark bluish purple, sparsely puberulent, lateral sepals forward pointing, 13-23 × 5-8 mm, spurs ascending ca. 45°, downcurved apically, 10-18 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-7 mm, clefts 2-3 mm; hairs centered, mostly near base of cleft, sparse elsewhere, white or yellow.	sepals bluish purple, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (10-)12-18 × 7-10 mm, spurs usually downcurved, ca. 30° below horizontal, 11-22 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 1-2 mm; hairs mostly near base of cleft on inner lobes, yellow, sometimes white.
Fruits	17-22 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, puberulent.	13-20 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds	wing-margined; seed coat cells narrow but short, surfaces pustulate.	unwinged; seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.
2n	= 16.	= 16.

	Delphinium barbeyi	Delphinium polycladon
Phenology	Flowering summer.	Flowering summer–early autumn.
Habitat	Subalpine and alpine sites in wet soils	Wet sites near springs, streamsides, bogs, and wet talus
Elevation	2500-4100 m (8200-13500 ft)	2200-3600 m (7200-11800 ft)
Distribution	AZ; CO; NM; UT; WY [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CA; NV [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Delphinium barbeyi hybridizes extensively with D. glaucum in western Colorado and eastern Utah, where plants appearing to be hybrid [D. ×occidentale (S. Watson) S. Watson] are often far more common than plants of either putative parent. Several other names have been used for these plants, including D. elatum var. occidentale S. Watson, D. abietorum Tidestrom, and D. scopulorum subsp. occidentale (S. Watson) Abrams. Delphinium barbeyi is also known to hybridize with D. ramosum and D. sapellonis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Delphinium polycladon hybridizes with D. depauperatum and D. glaucum. Plants of D. polycladon are extremely variable. Individuals from very rocky, thin-soiled, sunny sites at higher elevations tend to be quite compact; they show the features of the species in a dwarfed state. Proximal internodes are especially shortened. Plants from areas of deeper soil (high or low elevations), especially those growing among shrubs, usually are much taller, with elongate proximal internodes, and other vegetative parts proportionally larger. Shorter plants may be confused with D. depauperatum or D. nuttallianum; see discussion under those species for distinguishing features. Taller plants may be confused with D. glaucum; they can be distinguished by their leaves predominately on proximal part of stem, sigmoid pedicel, and fewer flowers. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 3.	FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa	Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata	Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex
Sibling taxa	D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum	D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
Synonyms	D. exaltatum var. (e) barbeyi, D. occidentale var. barbeyi	D. scopulorum var. luporum
Name authority	(Huth) Huth: Bull. Herb. Boissier 1: 335. (1893)	Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 669. (1901)
Web links	Local Web sites: SW CO Wildflowers WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Delphinium polycladon

Barbey larkspur, Barbey's larkspur, subalpine larkspur, tall larkspur

high mountain larkspur, mountain marsh larkspur

Stems

50-150 cm;

base green, glabrous.

(20-)60-100(-160) cm;

base reddish or not, glabrous.

Leaves

blade round to reniform, 4-8 × 7-15 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-9, width 8-50 mm.

blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-7 × 2-14 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 4-30(-45) mm (basal), 3-30 mm (cauline).

Inflorescences

10-50-flowered;

pedicel 0.5-6 cm, glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 1-4(-8) mm from flowers, blue to green, awl-shaped, 5-14 mm, puberulent.

3-15(-35)-flowered, open, often ± secund;

pedicel 1-4(-15) cm, glabrous to puberulent;

bracteoles 2-8(-37) mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-7(-11) mm, nearly glabrous.

Flowers

sepals dark bluish purple, sparsely puberulent, lateral sepals forward pointing, 13-23 × 5-8 mm, spurs ascending ca. 45°, downcurved apically, 10-18 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-7 mm, clefts 2-3 mm;

hairs centered, mostly near base of cleft, sparse elsewhere, white or yellow.

sepals bluish purple, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (10-)12-18 × 7-10 mm, spurs usually downcurved, ca. 30° below horizontal, 11-22 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 1-2 mm;

hairs mostly near base of cleft on inner lobes, yellow, sometimes white.

Fruits

17-22 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, puberulent.

13-20 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.

Seeds

wing-margined;

seed coat cells narrow but short, surfaces pustulate.

unwinged;

seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.

= 16.

Delphinium polycladon

Phenology

Flowering summer.

Flowering summer–early autumn.

Habitat

Subalpine and alpine sites in wet soils

Wet sites near springs, streamsides, bogs, and wet talus

Elevation

2500-4100 m (8200-13500 ft)

2200-3600 m (7200-11800 ft)

Distribution

AZ; CO; NM; UT; WY

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

CA; NV

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Delphinium barbeyi hybridizes extensively with D. glaucum in western Colorado and eastern Utah, where plants appearing to be hybrid [D. ×occidentale (S. Watson) S. Watson] are often far more common than plants of either putative parent. Several other names have been used for these plants, including D. elatum var. occidentale S. Watson, D. abietorum Tidestrom, and D. scopulorum subsp. occidentale (S. Watson) Abrams. Delphinium barbeyi is also known to hybridize with D. ramosum and D. sapellonis.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Delphinium polycladon hybridizes with D. depauperatum and D. glaucum. Plants of D. polycladon are extremely variable. Individuals from very rocky, thin-soiled, sunny sites at higher elevations tend to be quite compact; they show the features of the species in a dwarfed state. Proximal internodes are especially shortened. Plants from areas of deeper soil (high or low elevations), especially those growing among shrubs, usually are much taller, with elongate proximal internodes, and other vegetative parts proportionally larger. Shorter plants may be confused with D. depauperatum or D. nuttallianum; see discussion under those species for distinguishing features. Taller plants may be confused with D. glaucum; they can be distinguished by their leaves predominately on proximal part of stem, sigmoid pedicel, and fewer flowers.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source

FNA vol. 3.

Parent taxa

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex

Sibling taxa

D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum

D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum

Synonyms

D. exaltatum var. (e) barbeyi, D. occidentale var. barbeyi

D. scopulorum var. luporum

Name authority

(Huth) Huth: Bull. Herb. Boissier 1: 335. (1893)

Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 669. (1901)

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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Delphinium barbeyi

Delphinium polycladon

Delphinium barbeyi

Delphinium polycladon