Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum(synonym of Delphinium leucophaeum) |
Delphinium tricorne |
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pale larkspur, white rock larkspur |
dwarf larkspur, rock larkspur |
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Stems | 30-60 cm. |
20-60 cm; base often reddish, nearly glabrous. |
Leaves | blade round, 2-8 × 4-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-18, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 2-10 mm (basal), 4-10 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
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Inflorescences | 5-15(-30)-flowered, less than 3 times longer than wide; pedicel 1-2.5 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 1-4(-6) mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-5 mm, puberulent. |
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Flowers | sepals white or light yellow, spurs 9-11 mm; lower petal blades 4-6 mm. |
sepals deep bluish purple to pink or white, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 11-19 × 4-7 mm, spurs straight, within 30° of horizontal, 13-16 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, blue, except sometimes in white-flowered plants, 6-10 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm; hairs sparse, mostly centered near junction of blade and claw, white. |
Fruits | 14-22 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, nearly glabrous. |
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Seeds | unwinged; surface of each seed coat cell with 1-5 small, swollen, elongate, blunt, hairlike structures, barely visible at 20x, otherwise smooth. |
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2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum |
Delphinium tricorne |
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Phenology | Flowering late spring. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Rock outcrops, rocky meadows | Slopes in deciduous forests, thicket edges, moist prairies |
Elevation | 50-100 m (200-300 ft) | 10-1500 m (0-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
OR
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AL; AR; DC; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MD; MO; MS; NC; NE; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
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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 tricorne is the most commonly encountered larkspur east of the Great Plains. The Cherokee prepared infusions of Delphinium tricorne to ingest for heart problems, although they believed the roots of the plant made cows drunk and killed them (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. Grumosa |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. menziesii var. (ß) ochroleucum, D. leucophaeum | |
Name authority | (Nuttall) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 98. (1995) | Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer., 314. (1803) |
Web links |