Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium basalticum

Delphinium carolinianum
Delphinium basalticum

basalt larkspur, basaltic larkspur, Columbia Gorge larkspur

Carolina larkspur
Stems

20-50(-65) cm;

base often reddish, puberulent.

(20-)40-90(-150) cm;

base reddish or not, ± pubescent.
Leaves

blade round, 2-6 × 5-9 cm, not succulent, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-19, width 3-15 mm (basal), 1-12 mm (cauline).

blade round to pentagonal, 1-8 × 2-12 cm, pubescence variable; ultimate lobes 3-29, width 2-10 mm (basal), 1-7 mm (cauline).
Inflorescences

(2-)6-16(-26)-flowered;

pedicel 2-7 cm, nearly glabrous;

bracteoles 4-12 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-7 mm, nearly glabrous.

(3-)8-27(-94)-flowered;

pedicel (0.4-)0.7-1.8(-5.7) cm, nearly glabrous to glandular;

bracteoles 1-3.5(-6) mm from flowers, green or blue, linear, 2-7 mm, pubescence nearly glabrous to glandular.
Flowers

sepals dark blue, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 15-21 × 7-10 mm, spur straight to decurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 14-18 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 7-9 mm, cleft 4-5 mm;

hairs centered, mostly on inner lobes above base of cleft, yellow to white.

sepals purple to blue to white, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (7-)9-14(-17) × (3-)3.5-6(-8) mm, spurs ± upcurved, ascending 20-90° above vertical, (9-)11-17(-19) mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, cleft 2-4 mm;

hairs centered, densest near base of cleft, white, sometimes blue or yellow.
Fruits

12-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous.

(10-)12.5-18.5(-27) mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent.
Seeds

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces smooth.

seed coat cells with surfaces pustulate or smooth.

Delphinium basalticum

Delphinium carolinianum
Phenology Flowering spring (-early summer).
Habitat Basaltic cliff faces, n and e slopes at base of cliffs
Elevation 200-500 m (700-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CO; FL; GA; IA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; OK; SC; SD; TN; TX; WI; MB; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Hybrids between Delphinium basalticum and D. trolliifolium are known.

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

Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Basal leaves absent at anthesis, cauline leaves divided into many narrow (less than 2 mm wide) segments, blade not distinctly 3-parted; distalmost petiole less than 5 mm; sepals usually blue or purple (rarely white).
subsp. carolinianum
1. Basal leaves usually present at anthesis, and/or cauline leaf lobes usually wider than 2 mm, blade often distinctly 3-parted or more; distalmost petiole more than 5 mm; sepals blue or white.
→ 2
2. Leaf blade distinctly 3-parted with few additional divisions; sepals blue to white; roots usually ± vertical, often without major branches.
subsp. vimineum
2. Leaf blade with 3–5 or more major divisions, each further divided into segments; sepals white to very pale blue; roots ±horizontal with several major branches.
→ 3
3. Stems usually less than 45 cm; in thin soils over limestone in clearings of deciduous woods; leaf blade with 3 major divisions; e of Mississippi River.
subsp. calciphilum
3. Stems usually more than 45 cm; in deeper soils in grasslands; leaf blade with 5 or more major divisions; w of Mississippi River.
subsp. virescens
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Virescens
Sibling taxa
D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
D. carolinianum subsp. calciphilum, D. carolinianum subsp. carolinianum, D. carolinianum subsp. vimineum, D. carolinianum subsp. virescens
Name authority M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 91. (1995) Walter: Fl. Carol., 155. (1788)
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).



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