Delphinium lineapetalum |
Delphinium cardinale |
|
---|---|---|
thinpetal larkspur |
cardinal larkspur, cardinal or scarlet larkspur, scarlet larkspur |
|
Stems | (15-)30-60 cm; base usually reddish, glabrous to glaucous. |
(33-)50-150(-280) cm; base reddish, ± puberulent. |
Leaves | blade round, 1-5 × 2-6 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-16, width 1-4 mm (basal), 0.5-3 mm (cauline). |
blade round to reniform, 3-7 × 5-10 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 0-27, width 5-40 mm (basal), 0.5-6 mm (cauline). |
Inflorescences | (3-)9-24(-40)-flowered, pyramidal; pedicel spreading, 1-2.5 cm, glabrous or glandular-puberulent; bracteoles 4-7 mm from flowers, blue or green, linear, 1-3 mm, glabrous or glandular-puberulent. |
10-40(-80)-flowered, open, narrowly pyramidal; pedicel spreading, (1-)2-5 cm, ± puberulent; bracteoles (2-)7-15(-25) mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-7 mm, glabrous to puberulent. |
Flowers | sepals light blue to lavender, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, 10-13 × 3-5 mm, spurs straight to slightly decurved, nearly horizontal to ascending ca. 30°, 11-17 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm; hairs centered mostly on inner lobes near base of cleft, white. |
sepals red, glabrous, lateral sepals forward pointing, 11-15 × 5-8 mm, spurs straight, stout, slightly ascending, 15-24 mm; lower petal blades nearly coplanar with claw, exposing stamens, 2-5 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs centered at base of cleft, short, sparse, yellow. |
Fruits | 13-21 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent to glabrous. |
erect, 9-18 mm, 2.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
unwinged; seed coat cells with margins undulate, surfaces roughened. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium lineapetalum |
Delphinium cardinale |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering spring–early summer. |
Habitat | Open pine woods, dry meadows | Slopes (often unstable) in chaparral |
Elevation | 400-1800 m (1300-5900 ft) | 50-1500 m (200-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
WA
|
CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
|
Discussion | Of conservation concern. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Hybrids between Delphinium cardinale and D. parryi have been named D. ×inflexum Davidson. Because of horticultural interest in red-flowered delphiniums, garden hybrids have been made with D. elatum, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. nudicaule, D. parishii, D. penardii, D. scopulorum, D. tatsienense Franchet, D. uliginosum, and D. zalil Aitchison & Hemsley, although D. cardinale does not grow with any of these in the wild. Plants of Delphinium cardinale are quite variable in size, leaf distribution, and pubescence, resulting in considerable differences between, and sometimes within, populations. No patterns could be seen, however, to justify recognition of separate taxa within D. cardinale. Populations farther south (in Baja California, Mexico) may represent a distinct entity; they require further study. The only possible confusion between Delphinium cardinale (seeds not ringed, fruits erect, grows in relatively dry sites) and another taxon might occur with Delphinium nudicaule (seeds ringed, fruits spreading, grows in moist habitats). The two are separated geographically and phenologically (although D. cardinale may begin flowering in southern California before D. nudicaule has finished in northern California). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. nuttallianum var. lineapetalum | |
Name authority | Ewan: Univ. Colorado Stud., Ser. D, Phys. Sci. 2: 126. (1945) | Hooker: Bot. Mag., plate 4887. (1855) |
Web links |