Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium bicolor |
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Eldorado larkspur, Hansen's delphinium, Hansen's larkspur |
Flathead larkspur, little larkspur, low larkspur, Montana larkspur |
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Stems | (25-)40-80(-180) cm; base usually reddish, pubescent. |
10-40(-70) cm; base often reddish, glabrous to puberulent. |
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Leaves | blade pentagonal, 1.5-5 × 2.5-8 cm, long-pubescent, especially abaxially; ultimate lobes 0-18, width 4-20 mm (basal), 2-9 mm (cauline). |
blade round, 1-4 × 1.5-7 cm, glabrous to puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-19, width 1-8 mm (basal), 1-3 mm (cauline). |
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Inflorescences | (9-)15-40(-160)-flowered, dense to open; pedicel 0.3-2.5(-6) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 1-5(-8) mm from flowers, green, sometimes white-margined, linear-lanceolate, 2-6(-8) mm, puberulent. |
3-12(-22)-flowered; pedicel 1-4(-8) cm, ± puberulent; bracteoles 2-7(-17) mm from flowers, green, sometimes white-margined, lanceolate, 4-6(-8) mm, puberulent. |
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Flowers | sepals violet to white, ± puberulent, lateral sepals spreading to forward pointing, 7-10(-13) × 3-6(-8) mm, spurs gently upcurved, ascending 0-30° above horizontal, (6-)9-13(-16) mm; lower petal blades elevated, ± exposing stamens, 3-7 mm, cleft 1-2(-4) mm; hairs centered, densest on inner lobes near base of cleft, white. |
sepals dark blue, puberulent, lateral sepals usually spreading, 16-21 × 6-12 mm, spurs straight to gently decurved, ascending 0-40° above horizontal, 13-23 mm; lower petal blades covering stamens, 7-12 mm, clefts 0.1-3 mm; hairs sparse, short, mostly on inner lobes below junction of blade and claw, white or yellow. |
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Fruits | 8-20 mm, 2.2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
(12-)16-22 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, usually puberulent. |
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Seeds | echinate, appearing fuzzy to naked eye; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces sparsely pustulate. |
often winged; seed coat cells with surfaces ± smooth. |
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Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium bicolor |
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Distribution |
CA
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ID; MT; ND; NE; SD; WY; AB; BC; SK
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Discussion | Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora). Although Delphinium hansenii has often been confused with D. hesperium, seeds will instantly allow identification. Seeds of Delphinium hansenii are, as far as known, unique, bearing numerous, elongate, prismlike raised structures (extensions of single cells or small groups of cells) over the entire seed coat. If seeds are absent, larger flowers, more open inflorescences (except in D. hesperium subsp. cuyamacae), and general absence of pubescence of long hairs in D. hesperium are apparent upon comparison of the two species. Separating D. hansenii from D. variegatum may also be difficult. Again, seeds leave no doubt. In addition, smaller flowers and greater number of flowers per plant of D. hansenii should serve to distinguish D. hansenii from D. variegatum. White-flowered D. hansenii has been confused with D. gypsophilum and with D. hesperium subsp. pallescens. Other than seeds, pubescence of long hairs and smaller flowers present in D. hansenii and absent in the others will distinguish them. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora). Delphinium bicolor is closely related to D. glareosum; it differs in its wider-lobed cauline leaves, shallower petal clefts, and narrower fruits. The Gosiute consider this plant to be poisonous (D. E. Moerman 1986, subspecies not specified). (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. Echinata | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria | ||||||||||||
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Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||
Synonyms | D. hesperium var. hansenii | |||||||||||||
Name authority | (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 94. (1896) | Nuttall: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 7: 10. (1834) | ||||||||||||
Web links |