Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium bicolor

Delphinium multiplex

Flathead larkspur, little larkspur, low larkspur, Montana larkspur

Kittitas larkspur
Stems

10-40(-70) cm;

base often reddish, glabrous to puberulent.

(40-)80-130(-180) cm;

base usually green, glabrous.
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 on proximal stem, ± cuneate on distal stem, 1.5-9 × 2-14 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 15-30 mm (basal), 1-20 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.

25-50-flowered, ± dense;

pedicel 0.5-2 cm, glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 4-5 mm from flowers, green to blue, lanceolate-linear, 3-7 mm, glandular-puberulent.
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, puberulent, lateral sepals forward pointing to spreading, 12-15 × 5-7 mm, spurs straight, within 20° of horizontal, 12-16 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, exposing stamens, 6-8 mm, clefts 2-3 mm;

hairs centered, mostly near base of cleft, white.
Fruits

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

10-15 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glandular-puberulent.
Seeds

often winged;

seed coat cells with surfaces ± smooth.

narrowly wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces somewhat roughened.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium bicolor

Delphinium multiplex
Phenology Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Rocky streambeds
Elevation 1500-1800 m (4900-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; ND; NE; SD; WY; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Delphinium multiplex hybridizes with D. glaucum and D. distichum.

(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. Multiplex
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. 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. 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
Synonyms D. cyanoreios
Name authority Nuttall: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 7: 10. (1834) (Ewan) C. L. Hitchcock: in C. L. Hitchcock et al., Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W. 2: 357. (1964)
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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