Delphinium exaltatum |
Delphinium polycladon |
|
---|---|---|
tall larkspur |
high mountain larkspur, mountain marsh larkspur |
|
Stems | 70-200 cm; base reddish, nearly glabrous. |
(20-)60-100(-160) cm; base reddish or not, glabrous. |
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, 1.5-7 × 2-14 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 4-30(-45) mm (basal), 3-30 mm (cauline). |
Inflorescences | 8-30-flowered; pedicel 0.5-2 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-4 mm, puberulent. |
3-15(-35)-flowered, open, often ± secund; pedicel 1-4(-15) cm, glabrous to puberulent; bracteoles 2-8(-37) mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-7(-11) mm, nearly glabrous. |
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 bluish purple, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (10-)12-18 × 7-10 mm, spurs usually downcurved, ca. 30° below horizontal, 11-22 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 1-2 mm; hairs mostly near base of cleft on inner lobes, yellow, sometimes white. |
Fruits | 7-12 mm, 2-2.5 times longer than wide, ± puberulent. |
13-20 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
Seeds | ± wing-margined; seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth. |
unwinged; seed coat cells with surfaces roughened. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium exaltatum |
Delphinium polycladon |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer–early autumn. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes in open deciduous woods and barrens, mainly on calcareous substrates, also shale and mafic and ultramafic rocks | Wet sites near springs, streamsides, bogs, and wet talus |
Elevation | 150-2000 m (500-6600 ft) | 2200-3600 m (7200-11800 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; KY; MD; MO; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
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CA; NV
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Discussion | Delphinium polycladon hybridizes with D. depauperatum and D. glaucum. Plants of D. polycladon are extremely variable. Individuals from very rocky, thin-soiled, sunny sites at higher elevations tend to be quite compact; they show the features of the species in a dwarfed state. Proximal internodes are especially shortened. Plants from areas of deeper soil (high or low elevations), especially those growing among shrubs, usually are much taller, with elongate proximal internodes, and other vegetative parts proportionally larger. Shorter plants may be confused with D. depauperatum or D. nuttallianum; see discussion under those species for distinguishing features. Taller plants may be confused with D. glaucum; they can be distinguished by their leaves predominately on proximal part of stem, sigmoid pedicel, and fewer flowers. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. scopulorum var. luporum | |
Name authority | Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 244. (1789) | Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 669. (1901) |
Web links |