Delphinium exaltatum |
Delphinium trolliifolium |
|
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tall larkspur |
Columbian larkspur, cow-poison, poison delphinium, poison larkspur |
|
Stems | 70-200 cm; base reddish, nearly glabrous. |
(40-)60-120(-180) cm; base usually reddish, glabrous to 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 ± pentagonal, 4-8 × 7-16 cm, margins ± incised, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 0-9, width 15-30 mm (basal), 5-20 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
Inflorescences | 8-30-flowered; pedicel 0.5-2 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-4 mm, puberulent. |
(5-)14-40(-75)-flowered, ± open, at least 2 times longer than wide; pedicel 1-4(-9) cm, puberulent to glabrous; bracteoles (2-)6-12 mm from flowers, green, linear, 5-9(-14) 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, glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (8-)14-21 × 5-9 mm, spurs straight or downcurved at apex, within 20° of horizontal, (10-)16-23 mm; lower petal blades covering stamens, 5-10 mm, clefts 1.5-3 mm; hairs sparse, mostly near junction of blade and claw, centered or on inner lobes, well dispersed, yellow. |
Fruits | 7-12 mm, 2-2.5 times longer than wide, ± puberulent. |
(15-)23-34 mm, 3.8-5.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | ± wing-margined; seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth. |
unwinged; seed coats smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium exaltatum |
Delphinium trolliifolium |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes in open deciduous woods and barrens, mainly on calcareous substrates, also shale and mafic and ultramafic rocks | Oak woods, coastal chaparral, wet woodlands |
Elevation | 150-2000 m (500-6600 ft) | 30-1100 m (100-3600 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; KY; MD; MO; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
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CA; OR
|
Discussion | Delphinium trolliifolium occurs in the northern Coast Range of California, the Columbia River Valley to just east of Mt. Hood, and the Willamette Valley of Oregon upstream to Lane County. California plants differ somewhat from Oregon plants in pubescence patterns and habitat preferences. Further study may show that two entities are involved here. Hybrids between Delphinium trolliifolium and D. decorum, D. menziesii subsp. pallidum (D. ×pavonaceum Ewan, Peacock larkspur), D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, and D. nuttallii are known. Delphinium trolliifolium is likely to be confused only with D. bakeri. Refer to discussion under that species for differences. (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. Grumosa |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 244. (1789) | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 375. (1872) |
Web links |