Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum

(synonym of Delphinium leucophaeum)

Delphinium multiplex
Delphinium leucophaeum

pale larkspur, white rock larkspur

Kittitas larkspur
Stems

30-60 cm.

(40-)80-130(-180) cm;

base usually green, glabrous.
Leaves

blade round on proximal stem, ± cuneate on distal stem, 1.5-9 × 2-14 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 15-30 mm (basal), 1-20 mm (cauline).
Inflorescences

25-50-flowered, ± dense;

pedicel 0.5-2 cm, glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 4-5 mm from flowers, green to blue, lanceolate-linear, 3-7 mm, glandular-puberulent.
Flowers

sepals white or light yellow, spurs 9-11 mm;

lower petal blades 4-6 mm.

sepals dark blue, puberulent, lateral sepals forward pointing to spreading, 12-15 × 5-7 mm, spurs straight, within 20° of horizontal, 12-16 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, exposing stamens, 6-8 mm, clefts 2-3 mm;

hairs centered, mostly near base of cleft, white.
Fruits

10-15 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glandular-puberulent.
Seeds

narrowly wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces somewhat roughened.
2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum

Delphinium multiplex
Phenology Flowering late spring. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Rock outcrops, rocky meadows Rocky streambeds
Elevation 50-100 m (200-300 ft) 1500-1800 m (4900-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

The range of morphologic features of Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum (D. leucophaeum) is almost completely encompassed within that of D. nuttallii subsp. nuttallii. Sepal color is the only feature consistently separating the two subspecies. Were it not for the fact that any given population typically has plants of only one flower color, a rank of forma would be more appropriate.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Delphinium multiplex hybridizes with D. glaucum and D. distichum.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa > Delphinium nuttallii Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex
Sibling taxa
D. nuttallii subsp. nuttallii, D. nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum
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. 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
Synonyms D. menziesii var. (ß) ochroleucum, D. leucophaeum D. cyanoreios
Name authority (Nuttall) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 98. (1995) (Ewan) C. L. Hitchcock: in C. L. Hitchcock et al., Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W. 2: 357. (1964)
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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