Delphinium geraniifolium |
Delphinium cardinale |
|
---|---|---|
Clark Valley larkspur, Mogollon larkspur |
cardinal larkspur, cardinal or scarlet larkspur, scarlet larkspur |
|
Stems | 60-100 cm; base reddish, puberulent, midstems pubescent. |
(33-)50-150(-280) cm; base reddish, ± puberulent. |
Leaves | blade dark green, at least adaxially, fan-shaped to reniform, 2-5 × 3-7 cm, pubescent, especially abaxially; ultimate lobes 5-15, width 4-15 mm (basal lobes 5-15 mm), apex abruptly tapered, usually mucronate; veins prominent. |
blade round to reniform, 3-7 × 5-10 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 0-27, width 5-40 mm (basal), 0.5-6 mm (cauline). |
Inflorescences | 20-90-flowered, dense, cylindric; pedicel ascending to spreading, 1-2 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 1-2 mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-6 mm, puberulent. |
10-40(-80)-flowered, open, narrowly pyramidal; pedicel spreading, (1-)2-5 cm, ± puberulent; bracteoles (2-)7-15(-25) mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-7 mm, glabrous to puberulent. |
Flowers | sepals dark blue to purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading to slightly forward pointing, 10-14 × 3-5 mm, spurs ascending 20-70°, truncate or downcurved apically, 12-15 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm; hairs sparse, local below junction of blade and claw, scattered on margins, white. |
sepals red, glabrous, lateral sepals forward pointing, 11-15 × 5-8 mm, spurs straight, stout, slightly ascending, 15-24 mm; lower petal blades nearly coplanar with claw, exposing stamens, 2-5 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs centered at base of cleft, short, sparse, yellow. |
Fruits | 13-18 mm, 3-3.5 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
erect, 9-18 mm, 2.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | unwinged; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces ± roughened. |
unwinged; seed coat cells with margins undulate, surfaces roughened. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium geraniifolium |
Delphinium cardinale |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Heavy clay soil, dry meadows in coniferous woods | Slopes (often unstable) in chaparral |
Elevation | 1800-3400 m (5900-11200 ft) | 50-1500 m (200-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM
|
CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
|
Discussion | Delphinium geraniifolium is a more pubescent analog of the closely related D. scopulorum, the former occurring in heavier soils at higher elvation. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Hybrids between Delphinium cardinale and D. parryi have been named D. ×inflexum Davidson. Because of horticultural interest in red-flowered delphiniums, garden hybrids have been made with D. elatum, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. nudicaule, D. parishii, D. penardii, D. scopulorum, D. tatsienense Franchet, D. uliginosum, and D. zalil Aitchison & Hemsley, although D. cardinale does not grow with any of these in the wild. Plants of Delphinium cardinale are quite variable in size, leaf distribution, and pubescence, resulting in considerable differences between, and sometimes within, populations. No patterns could be seen, however, to justify recognition of separate taxa within D. cardinale. Populations farther south (in Baja California, Mexico) may represent a distinct entity; they require further study. The only possible confusion between Delphinium cardinale (seeds not ringed, fruits erect, grows in relatively dry sites) and another taxon might occur with Delphinium nudicaule (seeds ringed, fruits spreading, grows in moist habitats). The two are separated geographically and phenologically (although D. cardinale may begin flowering in southern California before D. nudicaule has finished in northern California). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. tenuisectum subsp. amplibracteatum | |
Name authority | Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 583. (1899) | Hooker: Bot. Mag., plate 4887. (1855) |
Web links |