Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium nuttallii |
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Eldorado larkspur, Hansen's delphinium, Hansen's larkspur |
Nuttall's larkspur, upland larkspur |
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Stems | (25-)40-80(-180) cm; base usually reddish, pubescent. |
20-60(-90) cm; base usually reddish, pubescent. |
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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 to reniform, 2-8 × 3-14 cm, pubescent; ultimate lobes 5-18, width 4-7 mm (basal), 1-5 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
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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. |
5-25(-40)-flowered, at least 2 times longer than wide; pedicel 1.5-4(-9) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-3 mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-6 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 bluish purple to yellowish, (± drab), often partly fading upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals ± spreading, 8-11 × 3-6 mm, spurs straight, slightly ascending, 9-13 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm; hairs well dispersed, mostly near margins and base of cleft, white to yellow or blue. |
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Fruits | 8-20 mm, 2.2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
10-14(-18) mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, pubescent. |
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Seeds | echinate, appearing fuzzy to naked eye; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces sparsely pustulate. |
wing-margined; seed coat cell surfaces smooth. |
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Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium nuttallii |
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Distribution |
CA
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OR; WA
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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 nuttallii has often been confused with D. menziesii; it may be distinguished by consistently smaller flowers and usually more flowers per plant than in the latter. Interestingly, each species produces both blue-purple and yellowish flower colors, in separate populations. (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. Grumosa | ||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||
Synonyms | D. hesperium var. hansenii | |||||||||||||
Name authority | (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 94. (1896) | A. Gray: Bot. Gaz. 12: 54. (1887) | ||||||||||||
Web links |