Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium hansenii

Delphinium glareosum

Eldorado larkspur, Hansen's delphinium, Hansen's larkspur
Delphinium glareosum

Olympic larkspur, Olympic Mountain larkspur, rockslide larkspur
Stems

(25-)40-80(-180) cm;

base usually reddish, pubescent.

20-40 cm;

base reddish or not, glabrous, glaucous.
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, 2-4 × 3-7 cm, not succulent, glabrous; ultimate lobes 7-15, width 3-10 mm (basal), 2-7 mm (cauline).
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.

5-12-flowered;

pedicel 1-5(-10) cm, nearly glabrous to glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 2-10(-20) mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-8 mm, puberulent.
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, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 14-22 × 6-10 mm, spurs ± straight, orientation varies from 30° above to 30° below horizontal, 16-20 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± covering stamens, 6-9 mm, clefts 2-4 mm;

hairs local, densest on inner lobes near base of cleft, white to light yellow.
Fruits

8-20 mm, 2.2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous.

12-17 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, glabrous.
Seeds

echinate, appearing fuzzy to naked eye;

seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces sparsely pustulate.

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces smooth.

Delphinium hansenii

Delphinium glareosum
Phenology Flowering summer.
Habitat Steep rocky subalpine to alpine slopes
Elevation 1500-2800 m (4900-9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

See discussion under Delphinium bicolor.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Sepals reddish purple to dark maroon.
subsp. ewanianum
1. Sepals dark blue-purple to white.
→ 2
2. Leaves primarily basal (although leaves may be dry at anthesis and thus lost in herbarium specimens, petiole base will be present); cauline leaves usually fewer than 3; sepals bright blue to white.
subsp. kernense
2. Leaves primarily cauline, basal leaves usually absent at anthesis; cauline leaves 3 or more; sepals dark blue-purple to white or pink.
subsp. hansenii
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Echinata Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria
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. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
D. hansenii subsp. ewanianum, D. hansenii subsp. hansenii, D. hansenii subsp. kernense
Synonyms D. hesperium var. hansenii D. caprorum
Name authority (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 94. (1896) Greene: Pittonia 3: 257. (1898)
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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