Delphinium bicolor
Delphinium depauperatum
Flathead larkspur, little larkspur, low larkspur, Montana larkspur
Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain larkspur, dwarf, dwarf larkspur, few flower larkspur, mountain larkspur, or mountain larkspur, slim larkspur
10-40(-70) cm;
base often reddish, glabrous to puberulent.
unbranched, 10-40(-70) cm;
base usually not reddish, nearly glabrous.
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, 1-5 × 1.5-9 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-10, width 2-12 mm (basal), 0.5-3 mm (cauline);
margins of basal leaf, measured less than 1 cm from blade base, demarcating considerably more than 90° of arc when leaf laid flat;
cauline leaf blades much shorter than internodes.
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.
3-15(-25)-flowered, open, ± secund;
pedicel 0.5-3(-7) cm, ± glandular-puberulent;
bracteoles 2-6(-12) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear or lanceolate, 4-5(-8) mm, ± glandular-puberulent.
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 to bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 10-14 × 4-7 mm, spurs straight, horizontal or nearly so, 12-16 mm;
lower petal blades somewhat elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-7 mm, clefts 2-4 mm;
hairs mostly near base of cleft, white or light yellow.
(12-)16-22 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, usually puberulent.
9-16 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, ± puberulent.
often winged;
seed coat cells with surfaces ± smooth.
seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.
= 16.
Delphinium bicolor
Delphinium depauperatum
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.)
Delphinium depauperatum and D. nuttallianum are often found in the same meadows, with D. depauperatum occupying wetter sites, often very near streams, while D. nuttallianum is found in drier, better-drained sites. In typical years, the substrate will be dry around D. nuttallianum plants, while the substrate is damp near D. depauperatum plants as they flower. In addition, within a meadow, D. depauperatum flowers later than D. nuttallianum, so there is normally little overlap in flowering phenology of the two taxa. Although hybridization between D. depauperatum and D. nuttallianum is uncommon, hybrids do occur; they have been named D. ×burkei Greene. Burke's specimens at Kew represent a good series of permutations of this cross and successive backcrosses.
Specimens labeled Delphinium depauperatum subsp. harneyense represent the phase with more abundant yellow-glandular trichomes in the inflorescence and slightly larger flowers. Considerable variation in these features may be found within populations. Presence of yellow-glandular hairs is generally greater in more northern populations. Type specimens of Delphinium diversifolium are intermediate in amount of glandular pubescence.
Often confused with Delphinium nuttallianum, D. depauperatum may be distinguished by its cylindric inflorescences, less dissected leaves, winged seeds, and erect fruits. These character states contrast with the pyramidal inflorescences, more dissected leaves, ringed seeds, and spreading fruits of D. nuttallianum.
Dwarfed phases of Delphinium polycladon may be confused with D. depauperatum; they can be distinguished on the basis of bluish purple flowers, sigmoid pedicel, and prominent buds in the former, and dark blue flowers, straight pedicels, and absence of prominent buds in the latter.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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 |
BC
OR
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PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
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