Delphinium cardinale |
Delphinium novomexicanum |
|
---|---|---|
cardinal larkspur, cardinal or scarlet larkspur, scarlet larkspur |
New Mexico larkspur, White Mountain larkspur |
|
Stems | (33-)50-150(-280) cm; base reddish, ± puberulent. |
90-180(-250) cm; base usually green, 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 round to pentagonal, 5-10 × 8-18 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-21, width 4-15 mm. |
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. |
(20-)30-70(-140)-flowered; pedicel 0.5-1.5 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 1-3 mm from flowers, green, linear, 5-8 mm, 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 (in bud) purple to lavender, fading brownish, puberulent, lateral sepals ± forward pointing, 7-11 × 4-5 mm, spurs straight to gently decurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 7-11 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 3.5-6 mm, clefts 1-2 mm; hairs mostly centered between base of cleft and junction of blade and claw, white or yellow. |
Fruits | erect, 9-18 mm, 2.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
12-16 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
Seeds | unwinged; seed coat cells with margins undulate, surfaces roughened. |
wing-margined; seed coat cells elongate, surfaces ± roughened. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium cardinale |
Delphinium novomexicanum |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–early summer. | Flowering summer to early autumn. |
Habitat | Slopes (often unstable) in chaparral | Meadows in coniferous forest |
Elevation | 50-1500 m (200-4900 ft) | 2200-3900 m (7200-12800 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
|
NM |
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.) |
Delphinium novomexicanum represents the southern Cordilleran complex in the Sacramento and White mountains. (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. Exaltata |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. sierrae-blancae | |
Name authority | Hooker: Bot. Mag., plate 4887. (1855) | Wooton: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 37: 37. (1910) |
Web links |