Delphinium cardinale |
Delphinium bakeri |
|
---|---|---|
cardinal larkspur, cardinal or scarlet larkspur, scarlet larkspur |
Baker's delphinium, Baker's larkspur |
|
Stems | (33-)50-150(-280) cm; base reddish, ± puberulent. |
(45-)60-85(-100) cm; base reddish, glabrous. |
Leaves | blade round to reniform, 3-7 × 5-10 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 0-27, width 5-40 mm (basal), 0.5-6 mm (cauline). |
blade pentagonal to round, 1-6 × 1.5-8 cm, margins crenate, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-5, width 2-5 mm (basal), 5-30 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
Inflorescences | 10-40(-80)-flowered, open, narrowly pyramidal; pedicel spreading, (1-)2-5 cm, ± puberulent; bracteoles (2-)7-15(-25) mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-7 mm, glabrous to puberulent. |
8-23-flowered, at least 2 times longer than wide; pedicel 1-6(-9) cm, glandular-puberulent; bracteoles 4-6 mm from flowers, green to blue, lance-linear, 5-8(-13) mm, glabrous to glandular-puberulent. |
Flowers | sepals red, glabrous, lateral sepals forward pointing, 11-15 × 5-8 mm, spurs straight, stout, slightly ascending, 15-24 mm; lower petal blades nearly coplanar with claw, exposing stamens, 2-5 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs centered at base of cleft, short, sparse, yellow. |
sepals dark bluish purple, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 9-11 × 4-5 mm, spur apex decurved, ± horizontal, 9-13 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, clefts 2-3 mm; hairs sparse, mostly near base of cleft, centered or on inner lobes, white. |
Fruits | erect, 9-18 mm, 2.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
18-20 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | unwinged; seed coat cells with margins undulate, surfaces roughened. |
unwinged; seed coats smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium cardinale |
Delphinium bakeri |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–early summer. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Slopes (often unstable) in chaparral | Brushlands and coastal chaparral |
Elevation | 50-1500 m (200-4900 ft) | 100-300 m (300-1000 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
|
CA |
Discussion | Hybrids between Delphinium cardinale and D. parryi have been named D. ×inflexum Davidson. Because of horticultural interest in red-flowered delphiniums, garden hybrids have been made with D. elatum, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. nudicaule, D. parishii, D. penardii, D. scopulorum, D. tatsienense Franchet, D. uliginosum, and D. zalil Aitchison & Hemsley, although D. cardinale does not grow with any of these in the wild. Plants of Delphinium cardinale are quite variable in size, leaf distribution, and pubescence, resulting in considerable differences between, and sometimes within, populations. No patterns could be seen, however, to justify recognition of separate taxa within D. cardinale. Populations farther south (in Baja California, Mexico) may represent a distinct entity; they require further study. The only possible confusion between Delphinium cardinale (seeds not ringed, fruits erect, grows in relatively dry sites) and another taxon might occur with Delphinium nudicaule (seeds ringed, fruits spreading, grows in moist habitats). The two are separated geographically and phenologically (although D. cardinale may begin flowering in southern California before D. nudicaule has finished in northern California). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Delphinium bakeri is possibly extinct in the wild because of cultivation and sheep grazing in the small area where it grows. It is known from only two localities and has not been collected since 1960. Plants have been grown at Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Although their geographic ranges are distinct, D. bakeri is most similar to, and probably closely related to, D. trolliifolium. The former has more rounded incisions on the leaves than the latter, and the pedicel of D. bakeri are consistently glandular. Glandular pedicel appear only occasionally in D. trolliifolium. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Hooker: Bot. Mag., plate 4887. (1855) | Ewan: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 144. (1942) |
Web links |