Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium scopulorum |
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Eldorado larkspur, Hansen's delphinium, Hansen's larkspur |
Rocky Mountain larkspur |
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Stems | (25-)40-80(-180) cm; base usually reddish, pubescent. |
50-120 cm; base often reddish, puberulent, midstems glabrous to subglabrous. |
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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 pentagonal, 1.5-10 × 2-16 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-19, width 5-30 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline). |
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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. |
10-30-flowered, open, cylindric; pedicel ascending to spreading, 1-3(-4.5) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-7 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-4 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 bright dark blue, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals forward pointing, 12-15 × 4-6 mm, spurs gently decurved, slightly ascending, 15-20 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-8 mm, clefts 1-3 mm; hairs sparse, centered, mostly below junction of blade and claw, white. |
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Fruits | 8-20 mm, 2.2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
16-20 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, nearly glabrous. |
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Seeds | echinate, appearing fuzzy to naked eye; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces sparsely pustulate. |
wing-margined; seed coat cells with margins straight, cell surfaces ± roughened. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Delphinium hansenii |
Delphinium scopulorum |
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Phenology | Flowering late summer–early autumn. | |||||||||
Habitat | Riparian forests and open woodlands | |||||||||
Elevation | 1700-2600 m (5600-8500 ft) | |||||||||
Distribution |
CA
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AZ; NM; Mexico (Sonora) |
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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.) |
Hybrids are known with Delphinium andesicola. (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. Wislizenana | ||||||||
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Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||
Synonyms | D. hesperium var. hansenii | D. macrophyllum | ||||||||
Name authority | (Greene) Greene: Pittonia 3: 94. (1896) | A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 9. (1853) | ||||||||
Web links |