Delphinium geraniifolium |
Delphinium inopinum |
|
---|---|---|
Clark Valley larkspur, Mogollon larkspur |
unexpected larkspur |
|
Stems | 60-100 cm; base reddish, puberulent, midstems pubescent. |
70-110(-150) cm; base reddish or not, glabrous, often glaucous. |
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, 1-5 × 1.5-7 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-9, width 5-28 mm (basal), 3-18 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. |
20-35(-51)-flowered, usually dense; pedicel 0.3-1.5(-2.5) cm, glabrous; bracteoles 2-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 1-2(-4) mm, nearly glabrous. |
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 white to light blue, glabrous, lateral sepals spreading to forward pointing, 8-12 × 3-5 mm, spurs straight to gently upcurved, ascending 30-60° above horizontal, 9-12 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 1-2 mm; hairs centered, densest near base of cleft, white. |
Fruits | 13-18 mm, 3-3.5 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
12-20 mm, 2.6-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | unwinged; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces ± roughened. |
wing-margined; seed coat cells surfaces smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium geraniifolium |
Delphinium inopinum |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Heavy clay soil, dry meadows in coniferous woods | Rock outcrops in open coniferous woods |
Elevation | 1800-3400 m (5900-11200 ft) | 2200-2800 m (7200-9200 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM
|
CA |
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.) |
Delphinium inopinum is apparently endemic to a white metamorphic rock substrate in the Piute Mountains and southern Sierra Nevada. It is not known to hybridize with any other species, although D. patens subsp. montanum has been collected (when both were flowering) within 1 km of D. inopinum and probably occurs much closer. Delphinium inopinum is often confused with D. parishii subsp. pallidum and superficially resembles some white-flowered individuals of D. hansenii, as well as D. gypsophilum and D. hesperium subsp. pallescens. The massive roots with prominent buds readily distinguish D. inopinum from all of these. In addition, the pubescence found on D. hansenii will separate it from the glabrous D. inopinum. Leaves are rarely seen at anthesis near the base of the stem in D. hesperium subsp. pallescens; they are present in D. inopinum. (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. Multiplex |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. tenuisectum subsp. amplibracteatum | D. parishii var. inopinum |
Name authority | Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 583. (1899) | (Jepson) H. F. Lewis & Epling: Brittonia 8: 11. (1954) |
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