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Delphinium leucophaeum

pale larkspur, white rock larkspur

Nuttall's larkspur, upland larkspur

Stems

30-60 cm.

20-60(-90) cm;

base usually reddish, pubescent.

Leaves

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.

Inflorescences

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.

Flowers

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

lower petal blades 4-6 mm.

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.

Fruits

10-14(-18) mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, pubescent.

Seeds

wing-margined;

seed coat cell surfaces smooth.

2n

= 16.

Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum

Delphinium nuttallii

Phenology Flowering late spring.
Habitat Rock outcrops, rocky meadows
Elevation 50-100 m (200-300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
OR; 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.)

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.)

Key
1. Sepals blue or bluish purple; spur more than 10 mm.
subsp. nuttallii
1. Sepals white or light yellow; spur less than 10 mm.
subsp. ochroleucum
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa > Delphinium nuttallii Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa
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. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, 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
Subordinate taxa
D. nuttallii subsp. nuttallii, D. nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum
Synonyms D. menziesii var. (ß) ochroleucum, D. leucophaeum
Name authority (Nuttall) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 98. (1995) A. Gray: Bot. Gaz. 12: 54. (1887)
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