Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium geraniifolium

Delphinium exaltatum

Clark Valley larkspur, Mogollon larkspur

tall larkspur
Stems

60-100 cm;

base reddish, puberulent, midstems pubescent.

70-200 cm;

base reddish, nearly glabrous.
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 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.
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.

8-30-flowered;

pedicel 0.5-2 cm, puberulent;

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

13-18 mm, 3-3.5 times longer than wide, puberulent.

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

unwinged;

seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces ± roughened.

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium geraniifolium

Delphinium exaltatum
Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Heavy clay soil, dry meadows in coniferous woods Rocky slopes in open deciduous woods and barrens, mainly on calcareous substrates, also shale and mafic and ultramafic rocks
Elevation 1800-3400 m (5900-11200 ft) 150-2000 m (500-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; KY; MD; MO; NC; OH; PA; TN; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata
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. exaltatum, 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. 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
Synonyms D. tenuisectum subsp. amplibracteatum
Name authority Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 583. (1899) Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 244. (1789)
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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