The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Delphinium leucophaeum

pale larkspur, white rock larkspur

Sutherland's larkspur

Stems

30-60 cm.

(15-)30-70 cm;

base often reddish, glabrous.

Leaves

blade round, 1.5-10 × 3-18 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-21, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 3-9(-15) mm (basal), 0.5-6(-10) mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2.

Inflorescences

(2-)11-26(-37)-flowered, at least 2 times longer than wide;

pedicel 1-3 cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 2-7 mm from flowers, green to blue, linear-lanceolate, 3-5 mm, puberulent.

Flowers

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

lower petal blades 4-6 mm.

sepals dark blue, retaining color upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 14-20 × 5-10 mm, spurs gently decurved, ascending 0-20° above horizontal, 14-18 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± covering stamens, white, yellowish, or tan, 8-12 mm, clefts 2-4 mm;

hairs short, sparse, mostly below junction of blade and claw, slightly offset to inner lobes, white.

Fruits

(13-)18-25 mm, 4.5-5.2 times longer than wide, puberulent.

Seeds

winged on 1 margin;

seed coat cell surfaces roughened.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum

Delphinium sutherlandii

Phenology Flowering late spring. Flowering spring.
Habitat Rock outcrops, rocky meadows Dry meadows, rock outcrops, open conifer woods
Elevation 50-100 m (200-300 ft) 400-800 m (1300-2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
ID; MT; WA; BC
[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.)

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. 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. 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
Name authority (Nuttall) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 98. (1995) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 97. (1995)
Web links