Delphinium geraniifolium |
Delphinium menziesii |
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Clark Valley larkspur, Mogollon larkspur |
Menzies' larkspur |
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Stems | 60-100 cm; base reddish, puberulent, midstems pubescent. |
(10-)35-70(-85) cm; base often reddish, puberulent. |
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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, 1.5-5 × 3-9 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 5-18, width 2-15 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
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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. |
3-15(-43)-flowered; pedicel 1.5-4(-7) cm, (glandular) puberulent; bracteoles 8-10(-24) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear, 4-6(-9) mm, puberulent. |
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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 bluish purple or yellowish, often partly fading upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (11-)13-20 × 5-11 mm, spurs straight, ascending less than 30° above horizontal, 11-17 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 8-12 mm, clefts 0.2-2.5 mm; hairs sparse, centered, mostly near junction of blade and claw above base of cleft, white or blue. |
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Fruits | 13-18 mm, 3-3.5 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
11-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
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Seeds | unwinged; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces ± roughened. |
wing-margined; seed coat cell surfaces smooth, without swollen blunt hair. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Delphinium geraniifolium |
Delphinium menziesii |
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Phenology | Flowering summer. | |||||
Habitat | Heavy clay soil, dry meadows in coniferous woods | |||||
Elevation | 1800-3400 m (5900-11200 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
AZ; NM
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OR; WA; BC
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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.) |
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora). Although Delphinium menziesii has often been confused with D. nuttallii, it may be distinguished by its consistently larger flowers and usually fewer flowers per plant. Interestingly, each species produces both blue-purple and yellowish flower colors in separate populations. The Chehalis consider Delphinium menziesii poisonous, but they also apply it to sores. The women of the Thompson Indians use it as a love charm (D. E. Moerman 1986, subspecies not indicated). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. | ||||
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | D. tenuisectum subsp. amplibracteatum | |||||
Name authority | Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 583. (1899) | de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 1: 355. (1817) | ||||
Web links |