Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium geraniifolium

Delphinium trolliifolium

Clark Valley larkspur, Mogollon larkspur
Delphinium trolliifolium

Columbian larkspur, cow-poison, poison delphinium, poison larkspur
Stems

60-100 cm;

base reddish, puberulent, midstems pubescent.

(40-)60-120(-180) cm;

base usually reddish, glabrous to 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 ± pentagonal, 4-8 × 7-16 cm, margins ± incised, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 0-9, width 15-30 mm (basal), 5-20 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2.
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.

(5-)14-40(-75)-flowered, ± open, at least 2 times longer than wide;

pedicel 1-4(-9) cm, puberulent to glabrous;

bracteoles (2-)6-12 mm from flowers, green, linear, 5-9(-14) 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 dark blue, glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (8-)14-21 × 5-9 mm, spurs straight or downcurved at apex, within 20° of horizontal, (10-)16-23 mm;

lower petal blades covering stamens, 5-10 mm, clefts 1.5-3 mm;

hairs sparse, mostly near junction of blade and claw, centered or on inner lobes, well dispersed, yellow.
Fruits

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

(15-)23-34 mm, 3.8-5.5 times longer than wide, glabrous.
Seeds

unwinged;

seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces ± roughened.

unwinged;

seed coats smooth.
2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium geraniifolium

Delphinium trolliifolium
Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Heavy clay soil, dry meadows in coniferous woods Oak woods, coastal chaparral, wet woodlands
Elevation 1800-3400 m (5900-11200 ft) 30-1100 m (100-3600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[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.)

Delphinium trolliifolium occurs in the northern Coast Range of California, the Columbia River Valley to just east of Mt. Hood, and the Willamette Valley of Oregon upstream to Lane County. California plants differ somewhat from Oregon plants in pubescence patterns and habitat preferences. Further study may show that two entities are involved here.

Hybrids between Delphinium trolliifolium and D. decorum, D. menziesii subsp. pallidum (D. ×pavonaceum Ewan, Peacock larkspur), D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, and D. nuttallii are known. Delphinium trolliifolium is likely to be confused only with D. bakeri. Refer to discussion under that species for differences.

(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. Grumosa
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. exaltatum, 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. 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) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 375. (1872)
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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