Delphinium exaltatum |
Delphinium umbraculorum |
|
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tall larkspur |
umbrella larkspur |
|
Stems | 70-200 cm; base reddish, nearly glabrous. |
40-70(-90) cm; base often reddish, glabrous or 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 round to pentagonal, 1.5-4 × 2-6 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-13, width 3-20 mm (basal), 1-8 mm (cauline). |
Inflorescences | 8-30-flowered; pedicel 0.5-2 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-4 mm, puberulent. |
(5-)10-25(-45)-flowered, open, narrowly pyramidal; pedicel 0.5-3(-7) cm, glabrous to puberulent; bracteoles 3-7 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-6 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, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 9-16 × 4-7 mm, spurs gently upcurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 8-14 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3.5-6 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs densest near junction of blade and claw above base of cleft, centered or on inner lobes, white. |
Fruits | 7-12 mm, 2-2.5 times longer than wide, ± puberulent. |
9-16(-19) mm, 2.5-3(-4) times longer than wide, puberulent. |
Seeds | ± wing-margined; seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth. |
seed coat cells brick-shaped, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium exaltatum |
Delphinium umbraculorum |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering late spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes in open deciduous woods and barrens, mainly on calcareous substrates, also shale and mafic and ultramafic rocks | Slopes in oak forests |
Elevation | 150-2000 m (500-6600 ft) | 400-1600 m (1300-5200 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; KY; MD; MO; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
|
CA
|
Discussion | Delphinium umbraculorum is most often confused with D. patens subsp. hepaticoideum; refer to discussion of that taxon for distinguishing features. Hybrids occur with D. parryi and D. patens subsp. montanum. (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. Subscaposa |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 244. (1789) | H. F. Lewis & Epling: Brittonia 8: 19. (1954) |
Web links |