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tall larkspur

arctic larkspur, northern larkspur

Stems

70-200 cm;

base reddish, nearly glabrous.

20-50(-80) cm;

base often reddish, pubescent.

Leaves

blade pentagonal, 2-7 × 3-9 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-7, width 5-25 mm;

midcauline leaf lobes less than 3 times longer than wide.

blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-6 × 3-11 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 5-15, width 1-7(-15) mm.

Inflorescences

8-30-flowered;

pedicel 0.5-2 cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 2-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-4 mm, puberulent.

5-18-flowered;

pedicel 1-4.5 cm, pubescent;

bracteoles 2-7 mm from flowers, blue, linear, 5-8 mm, puberulent.

Flowers

sepals whitish to pale lavender or purple, puberulent, lateral sepals forward pointing, 9-11 × 4-6 mm, spurs straight, as much as 45° above or below horizontal, 9-12 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 1-2 mm;

hairs centered, mostly near base of cleft, white.

sepals dark blue, apex rounded, puberulent, lateral sepals forward pointing, 17-24 × 7-9 mm, spurs straight to slightly decurved, ascending 30-60° above horizontal, 15-17 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm;

hairs sparse, local, centered, mostly above base of cleft, white.

Fruits

7-12 mm, 2-2.5 times longer than wide, ± puberulent.

14-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, pubescent.

Seeds

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth.

wing-margined;

seed coat cells ± elongate, surfaces roughened.

Delphinium exaltatum

Delphinium brachycentrum

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Rocky slopes in open deciduous woods and barrens, mainly on calcareous substrates, also shale and mafic and ultramafic rocks Well-drained tundra slopes
Elevation 150-2000 m (500-6600 ft) 0-1600 m (0-5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; KY; MD; MO; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; YT; e Asia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hybrids with Delphinium glaucum are known as D. ×nutans A. Nelson.

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

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata
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. distichum, D. elatum, 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. 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. chamissonis
Name authority Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 244. (1789) Ledebour: Fl. Ross. 1: 60. (1841)
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