Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium exaltatum

Delphinium stachydeum

tall larkspur

hedgenettle larkspur, Rocky Mountain larkspur, spike larkspur, Umatilla larkspur
Stems

70-200 cm;

base reddish, nearly glabrous.

(40-)70-150(-200) cm;

base reddish, puberulent.
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 light green, ± round, 2-8 × 3.5-11 cm, sparsely pubescent; ultimate lobes 7-19, width 1-8 mm, apex tapering to point;

veins obscure.
Inflorescences

8-30-flowered;

pedicel 0.5-2 cm, puberulent;

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

(14-)30-60(-102)-flowered, dense, cylindric;

pedicel spreading, 0.8-2(-3) cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 1-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-7(-10) 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 bright blue, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 9-13 × 4-7 mm, spurs straight, within 30° above or below horizontal, 11-17 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-8 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm;

hairs sparse, centered, mostly near junction of blade and claw above base of cleft, white.
Fruits

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

10-15 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth.

wing-margined;

seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces ± roughened.

Delphinium exaltatum

Delphinium stachydeum
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 Swales in Artemisia scrub
Elevation 150-2000 m (500-6600 ft) 1300-3000 m (4300-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; KY; MD; MO; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Populations of Delphinium stachydeum are widely scattered in isolated mountain ranges surrounded by desert or grassland. The species has been reported (visual sightings) from northwestern Utah; no specimens have been seen from there. Hybrids between D. stachydeum and D. glaucum have been reported. Although D. stachydeum has been seen flowering within 30 m of flowering D. depauperatum, no hybrids have been observed.

Delphinium stachydeum may possibly be confused with D. geyeri, from which it may be distinguished by its usually greater plant size, less pubescent foliage, and later flowering date. Delphinium stachydeum also may be confused with D. glaucum; 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. Exaltata Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana
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. 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. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
Synonyms D. scopulorum var. stachydeum, D. confertiflorum, D. umatillense
Name authority Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 244. (1789) (A. Gray) Tidestrom: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 27: 61. (1914)
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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