Delphinium hansenii
Delphinium gracilentum
Eldorado larkspur, Hansen's delphinium, Hansen's larkspur
Greene's larkspur, meadow larkspur, pine forest larkspur, slender or Greene's larkspur
(25-)40-80(-180) cm;
base usually reddish, pubescent.
(15-)30-50(-80) cm;
base reddish, nearly glabrous.
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 to pentagonal, 1.5-4 × 3-7 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-7, distinctly wedge-shaped, usually 5 or fewer extending 3/5 distance to petiole, width 5-20 mm (basal), 1-15 mm (cauline), widest in distal 1/2.
(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.
5-20(-38)-flowered;
pedicel spreading from rachis at nearly 90°, 1-3(-4) cm, glabrous or glandular-pubescent;
bracteoles (7-)11-19 mm from flowers, blue or green, linear, 2-5 mm, puberulent to glabrous.
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 bluish purple to pink or white, usually retaining color upon drying, glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, 6-10(-13) × 3-6 mm, spurs often curved upward, within 30° above or below horizontal, 8-12(-14) mm;
lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 1-3 mm;
hairs almost exclusively near base of cleft, centered or mostly on inner lobes, usually yellow.
8-20 mm, 2.2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous.
8-16 mm, 3-3.5 times longer than wide, glabrous to glandular-puberulent.
echinate, appearing fuzzy to naked eye;
seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces sparsely pustulate.
unwinged;
seed coats ± pitted, cell surfaces roughened.
Delphinium hansenii
Delphinium gracilentum
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.)
Delphinium gracilentum hybridizes with D. patens subsp. patens in the northern Sierra Nevada foothills and is very similar to that species, making hybrids difficult to discern. While D. gracilentum and D. patens are easily distinguished in most of their ranges, morphologic distinctions between the two taxa are blurred in the northern Sierra Nevada foothills region, particularly in Butte County, California. Coniferous woods are preferred by D. gracilentum; D. patens subspp. patens and hepaticoideum are more often found in broadleaf woods. The former species has more widely spreading pedicels than the latter, and D. gracilentum usually has wider leaf lobes than D. patens subsp. patens. In the southern Sierra Nevada, D. gracilentum may come in contact with D. patens subsp. montanum. Though hybrids are not common, some gene flow has apparently occurred.
Sepal color phases are not stable and considerable variation occurs within populations. The type specimen of Delphinium gracilentum represents the northern, lower elevation, nonglandular, dark-flowered phase. The type specimen of D. gracilentum forma versicolor Ewan differs only by its pink or white flowers. A limited range of intermediate colors occurs, and populations may be made up of plants of a single color or several different colors. The type specimen of D. greenei Eastwood represents the southern, higher elevation, glandular (at least on pedicels) expression. The type specimen includes representatives of dark- and light-flowered individuals of this phase. The type specimen of D. gracilentum forma versicolor (not seen by the author) is the "albino" phase referred to by Greene in his description of D. gracilentum. Several of the paratypes cited by Ewan have been seen, as have a number of individuals in natural populations.
Delphinium gracilentum has been confused with D. patens or D. nuttallianum. Delphinium gracilentum may be distinguished from D. nuttallianum by its wider leaf lobes, smaller fruits, and more elongate inflorescences, and from D. patens by its wider leaf lobes, more open inflorescences, and usually shorter fruits.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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 |
CA
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USDA Plants Database
