Delphinium carolinianum |
Delphinium menziesii |
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Carolina larkspur |
Menzies' larkspur |
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Stems | (20-)40-90(-150) cm; base reddish or not, ± pubescent. |
(10-)35-70(-85) cm; base often reddish, puberulent. |
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Leaves | blade round to pentagonal, 1-8 × 2-12 cm, pubescence variable; ultimate lobes 3-29, width 2-10 mm (basal), 1-7 mm (cauline). |
blade round, 1.5-5 × 3-9 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 5-18, width 2-15 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
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Inflorescences | (3-)8-27(-94)-flowered; pedicel (0.4-)0.7-1.8(-5.7) cm, nearly glabrous to glandular; bracteoles 1-3.5(-6) mm from flowers, green or blue, linear, 2-7 mm, pubescence nearly glabrous to glandular. |
3-15(-43)-flowered; pedicel 1.5-4(-7) cm, (glandular) puberulent; bracteoles 8-10(-24) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear, 4-6(-9) mm, puberulent. |
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Flowers | sepals purple to blue to white, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (7-)9-14(-17) × (3-)3.5-6(-8) mm, spurs ± upcurved, ascending 20-90° above vertical, (9-)11-17(-19) mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, cleft 2-4 mm; hairs centered, densest near base of cleft, white, sometimes blue or yellow. |
sepals bluish purple or yellowish, often partly fading upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (11-)13-20 × 5-11 mm, spurs straight, ascending less than 30° above horizontal, 11-17 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 8-12 mm, clefts 0.2-2.5 mm; hairs sparse, centered, mostly near junction of blade and claw above base of cleft, white or blue. |
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Fruits | (10-)12.5-18.5(-27) mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent. |
11-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
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Seeds | seed coat cells with surfaces pustulate or smooth. |
wing-margined; seed coat cell surfaces smooth, without swollen blunt hair. |
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Delphinium carolinianum |
Delphinium menziesii |
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Distribution |
AL; AR; CO; FL; GA; IA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MN; MO; MS; NC; ND; NE; OK; SC; SD; TN; TX; WI; MB; Mexico
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OR; WA; BC
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Discussion | Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora). Although Delphinium menziesii has often been confused with D. nuttallii, it may be distinguished by its consistently larger flowers and usually fewer flowers per plant. Interestingly, each species produces both blue-purple and yellowish flower colors in separate populations. The Chehalis consider Delphinium menziesii poisonous, but they also apply it to sores. The women of the Thompson Indians use it as a love charm (D. E. Moerman 1986, subspecies not indicated). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. | ||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Virescens | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa | ||||||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||||||
Name authority | Walter: Fl. Carol., 155. (1788) | de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 1: 355. (1817) | ||||||||||||||||
Web links |