Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium californicum |
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Eldorado larkspur, Hansen's delphinium, Hansen's larkspur |
California larkspur, coast larkspur |
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Stems | (25-)40-80(-180) cm; base usually reddish, pubescent. |
(60-)100-160(-230) cm; base reddish, puberulent-glabrous. |
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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 pentagonal to round, 3-9 × 3-12 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 5-60 mm; midcauline leaf lobes less than 3 times longer than wide. |
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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. |
(16-)40-90(-162)-flowered; pedicel 0.5-2.5(-6.5) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-5 mm from flowers, reddish, linear, (3-)7-12(-15) 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 lavender to greenish white, abaxially puberulent, lateral sepals forward pointing to form a pseudotube, 6-11 × 5-7 mm, spurs straight, slightly ascending, apically downcurved, 7-11(-14) mm; lower petal blades elevated, ± exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 1.5-2.5 mm; hairs covering adaxial surface, white or light yellow. |
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Fruits | 8-20 mm, 2.2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
11-16 mm, 2.5-3.5 times longer than wide, glabrous to sparsely puberulent. |
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Seeds | echinate, appearing fuzzy to naked eye; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces sparsely pustulate. |
unwinged; seed coat cells elongate, surfaces ± roughened. |
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Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium californicum |
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Distribution |
CA
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CA
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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 californicum can be confused only with D. glaucum or D. exaltatum. The three species may be separated by the abundant pubescence and early flowering date of D. californicum as compared to the other two taxa, low elevation sites of D. californicum compared to D. glaucum, and western geographic distribution of D. californicum compared to D. exaltatum. (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. Exaltata | ||||||||||||
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Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||
Synonyms | D. hesperium var. hansenii | |||||||||||||
Name authority | (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 94. (1896) | Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 31. (1838) | ||||||||||||
Web links |