Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium distichum

Delphinium antoninum
Delphinium distichum

Burke's larkspur, meadow larkspur, strict larkspur, two-spike larkspur

Anthony Peak larkspur, Tracy's larkspur
Stems

(25-)30-60(-80) cm;

base sometimes reddish, puberulent.

(7-)15-30(-60) cm;

base reddish, glabrous to puberulent.
Leaves

blade cuneate to semicircular, 1-5 × 1.5-7 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 5-19, width 2-8(-15) mm (basal), 0.5-3(-5) 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;

most cauline leaf blades exceeding internodes.

blade round, 0.8-4 × 1.2-8 cm, ± succulent, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 1-8 mm (basal), 1-4 mm (cauline).
Inflorescences

8-30(-40)-flowered, usually dense;

pedicel 0.5-1.5 cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 0-3 mm from flowers, green to blue, linear, 4-8 mm, puberulent.

3-25-flowered;

pedicel (0.6-)1.2-3.2 cm, usually puberulent;

bracteoles 4-6 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-5 mm, puberulent.
Flowers

sepals dark blue to bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals ± erect, 8-12 × 3.5-5 mm, spurs straight, horizontal or nearly so, 9-15 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4.5-6.5 mm, clefts 2-3 mm;

hairs centered mostly near base of cleft, white.

sepals dark blue to white, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading to reflexed, 11-13 × 4-6 mm, spurs straight to gently decurved, within 30° above or below horizontal, 12-16 mm;

lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-7 mm, clefts 1.5-3 mm;

hairs centered, mostly on inner lobes above base of cleft, white.
Fruits

7-13 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, ± puberulent.

14-22 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds

seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.

unwinged;

seed coat cells with surfaces smooth.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium distichum

Delphinium antoninum
Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat Wet meadows Uncommon on moist talus slopes
Elevation 100-2400 m (300-7900 ft) 1100-2700 m (3600-8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Delphinium distichum hybridizes with D. multiplex and D. nuttallianum (D. ×diversicolor Rydberg). The name D. burkei has often been misapplied to D. distichum.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium antoninum hybridizes with D. decorum subsp. tracyi and with D. nudicaule. Most often confused with D. decorum subsp. tracyi, it is separable on the basis of its longer root, usually reflexed sepals, and typically colorfast flowers. It also may be confused with D. andersonii; see discussion under that species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria
Sibling taxa
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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms D. strictum var. distichiflorum
Name authority Geyer ex Hooker: J. Bot. 6: 68. (1847) Eastwood: Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 126. (1942)
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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