Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium hansenii

Delphinium polycladon

Eldorado larkspur, Hansen's delphinium, Hansen's larkspur

high mountain larkspur, mountain marsh larkspur
Stems

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

base usually reddish, pubescent.

(20-)60-100(-160) cm;

base reddish or not, glabrous.
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 pentagonal, 1.5-7 × 2-14 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 4-30(-45) mm (basal), 3-30 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.

3-15(-35)-flowered, open, often ± secund;

pedicel 1-4(-15) cm, glabrous to puberulent;

bracteoles 2-8(-37) mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-7(-11) mm, nearly glabrous.
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, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (10-)12-18 × 7-10 mm, spurs usually downcurved, ca. 30° below horizontal, 11-22 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 1-2 mm;

hairs mostly near base of cleft on inner lobes, yellow, sometimes white.
Fruits

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

13-20 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds

echinate, appearing fuzzy to naked eye;

seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces sparsely pustulate.

unwinged;

seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium hansenii

Delphinium polycladon
Phenology Flowering summer–early autumn.
Habitat Wet sites near springs, streamsides, bogs, and wet talus
Elevation 2200-3600 m (7200-11800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[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.)

Delphinium polycladon hybridizes with D. depauperatum and D. glaucum. Plants of D. polycladon are extremely variable. Individuals from very rocky, thin-soiled, sunny sites at higher elevations tend to be quite compact; they show the features of the species in a dwarfed state. Proximal internodes are especially shortened. Plants from areas of deeper soil (high or low elevations), especially those growing among shrubs, usually are much taller, with elongate proximal internodes, and other vegetative parts proportionally larger. Shorter plants may be confused with D. depauperatum or D. nuttallianum; see discussion under those species for distinguishing features. Taller plants may be confused with D. glaucum; they can be distinguished by their leaves predominately on proximal part of stem, sigmoid pedicel, and fewer flowers.

(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. Multiplex
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. glareosum, 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. 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. scopulorum var. luporum
Name authority (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 94. (1896) Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 669. (1901)
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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