Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum(synonym of Delphinium leucophaeum) |
Delphinium nudicaule |
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pale larkspur, white rock larkspur |
canyon delphinium, canyon larkspur, orange larkspur, red larkspur, red or orange larkspur, scarlet larkspur |
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Stems | 30-60 cm. |
(15-)20-50(-125) cm; base reddish, glabrous. |
Leaves | blade round to pentagonal, 2-6 × 3-10 cm; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 5-40 mm (basal), 2-20 mm (cauline). |
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Inflorescences | 5-20(-69)-flowered; pedicel (1.5-)2-6(-8) cm, glabrous to glandular-pubescent; bracteoles 14-20(-30) mm from flowers, green to red, linear, 2-4(-9) mm, glabrous to puberulent. |
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Flowers | sepals white or light yellow, spurs 9-11 mm; lower petal blades 4-6 mm. |
sepals scarlet to reddish orange, rarely dull yellow, glabrous, lateral sepals forward-pointing to form pseudotube, (6-)8-13(-16) × 3-6 mm, spurs straight, slightly ascending, (12-)18-27(-34) mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 2-3 mm, clefts 0.5-1 mm; hairs sparse, evenly dispersed, yellow. |
Fruits | 13-26 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
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Seeds | unwinged or sometimes slightly wing-margined; seed coat cells with surfaces smooth. |
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2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum |
Delphinium nudicaule |
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Phenology | Flowering late spring. | Flowering late winter–early summer. |
Habitat | Rock outcrops, rocky meadows | Moist talus, cliff faces |
Elevation | 50-100 m (200-300 ft) | 0-2600 m (0-8500 ft) |
Distribution |
OR
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CA; OR
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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 nudicaule hybridizes with most other taxa of Delphinium that it encounters. Apparent hybrids involving D. nudicaule, and seen by the author (either afield or as specimens), include D. andersonii, D. antoninum, D. decorum, D. luteum, D. nuttallianum, D. patens, and D. trolliifolium. In addition, garden-grown plants have been hybridized with D. cardinale, D. elatum, D. menziesii, D. parishii, D. penardii, D. tatsienense Franchet, D. triste Fischer ex de Candolle, and D. uliginosum; D. nudicaule does not naturally occur with these species. Delphinium nudicaule is one of the earliest larkspurs to flower in any given locality. Douglas's type collection of D. nudicaule represents plants (synonyms D. sarcophyllum Hooker & Arnott and D. peltatum Hooker, an invalid name) grown under very moist conditions, probably quite near the ocean. The type specimen of D. armeniacum A. Heller represents plants grown under unusually dry conditions. The Mendocino Indians consider Delphinium nudicaule a narcotic (D. E. Moerman 1986). (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. Bicoloria |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. menziesii var. (ß) ochroleucum, D. leucophaeum | D. armeniacum |
Name authority | (Nuttall) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 98. (1995) | Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 33. (1838) |
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