Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium bicolor

Delphinium basalticum

Flathead larkspur, little larkspur, low larkspur, Montana larkspur
Delphinium basalticum

basalt larkspur, basaltic larkspur, Columbia Gorge larkspur
Stems

10-40(-70) cm;

base often reddish, glabrous to puberulent.

20-50(-65) cm;

base often reddish, puberulent.
Leaves

blade round, 1-4 × 1.5-7 cm, glabrous to puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-19, width 1-8 mm (basal), 1-3 mm (cauline).

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

3-12(-22)-flowered;

pedicel 1-4(-8) cm, ± puberulent;

bracteoles 2-7(-17) mm from flowers, green, sometimes white-margined, lanceolate, 4-6(-8) mm, puberulent.

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

pedicel 2-7 cm, nearly glabrous;

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

sepals dark blue, puberulent, lateral sepals usually spreading, 16-21 × 6-12 mm, spurs straight to gently decurved, ascending 0-40° above horizontal, 13-23 mm;

lower petal blades covering stamens, 7-12 mm, clefts 0.1-3 mm;

hairs sparse, short, mostly on inner lobes below junction of blade and claw, white or yellow.

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.
Fruits

(12-)16-22 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, usually puberulent.

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

often winged;

seed coat cells with surfaces ± smooth.

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces smooth.

Delphinium bicolor

Delphinium basalticum
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
ID; MT; ND; NE; SD; WY; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Delphinium bicolor is closely related to D. glareosum; it differs in its wider-lobed cauline leaves, shallower petal clefts, and narrower fruits.

The Gosiute consider this plant to be poisonous (D. E. Moerman 1986, subspecies not specified).

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

Of conservation concern.

Hybrids between Delphinium basalticum and D. trolliifolium are known.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Sepals (especially in fresh material) dark blue to purple; cleft in lower petals 2 mm or less; soils not derived from limestone.
subsp. bicolor
1. Sepals (especially in fresh material) bright dark blue; cleft in lower petals at least 2 mm; soils derived from limestone.
subsp. calcicola
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria
Sibling taxa
D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
D. bicolor subsp. bicolor, D. bicolor subsp. calcicola
Name authority Nuttall: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 7: 10. (1834) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 91. (1995)
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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