Delphinium barbeyi |
Delphinium recurvatum |
|
---|---|---|
Barbey larkspur, Barbey's larkspur, subalpine larkspur, tall larkspur |
Byron larkspur, recurved larkspur, valley larkspur |
|
Stems | 50-150 cm; base green, glabrous. |
(18-)30-50(-85) cm; base reddish, glabrous. |
Leaves | blade round to reniform, 4-8 × 7-15 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-9, width 8-50 mm. |
blade round to pentagonal, 1-4 × 1.5-6 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-11, width 3-15 mm (basal), 1-10 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. |
(8-)10-25(-47)-flowered, narrowly pyramidal; pedicel ± spreading, (0.5-)1.5-4(-6) cm, nearly glabrous; bracteoles 3-8(-18) mm from flowers, green, sometimes margins white, lanceolate to linear, 3-5(-8) 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 light to sky blue (becoming bluer upon drying), puberulent, lateral sepals reflexed, 11-16 × 5-7(-9) mm, spurs straight to gently upcurved, ascending 0-30° above horizontal, 10-15(-18) mm; lower petal blades elevated, ± exposing stamens, 5-8 mm, clefts 0.5-2.5 mm; hairs mostly centered on inner lobes near base of cleft, white. |
Fruits | 17-22 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
8-21 mm, 2.2-3 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
Seeds | wing-margined; seed coat cells narrow but short, surfaces pustulate. |
seed coat cells brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces roughened. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium barbeyi |
Delphinium recurvatum |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Subalpine and alpine sites in wet soils | Grassland, Atriplex scrub |
Elevation | 2500-4100 m (8200-13500 ft) | 30-600 m (100-2000 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; CO; NM; UT; WY
|
CA
|
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.) |
Of conservation concern. Delphinium recurvatum has a very restricted distribution in the Central (especially San Joaquin) Valley. This species was probably much more common in the past; most of its habitat has been converted into irrigated croplands. Delphinium recurvatum grows in poorly drained, alkaline soils on valley floors. Hybrids are known between Delphinium recurvatum and D. gypsophilum, D. hesperium, D. parryi, and D. variegatum. Delphinium recurvatum is most likely to be confused with D. gypsophilum or D. hesperium subsp. pallescens. Distinguishing features are found in discussions of those taxa. (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. Subscaposa |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. exaltatum var. (e) barbeyi, D. occidentale var. barbeyi | D. hesperium var. recurvatum |
Name authority | (Huth) Huth: Bull. Herb. Boissier 1: 335. (1893) | Greene: Pittonia 1: 285. (1889) |
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