Delphinium luteum |
Delphinium patens |
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golden larkspur, yellow larkspur |
spreading larkspur, spreading or zigzag larkspur, zigzag larkspur |
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Stems | 20-40(-55) cm; base often reddish, nearly glabrous. |
(10-)20-50(-90) cm; base reddish, glabrous to puberulent. |
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Leaves | blade round to pentagonal, 1-5 × 2-10 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-5, width 8-30 mm (basal), 5-15 mm (cauline). |
blade round to pentagonal, 1-5.5 × 2-7.5 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-9, less often wedge-shaped, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 5-30(-50) mm (basal), 1-15 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
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Inflorescences | 5-25(-37)-flowered; pedicel (1-)3-5(-7) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 6-10(-17) mm from flowers, green, linear-lanceolate, 6-7 mm, nearly glabrous. |
4-25(-36)-flowered; pedicel spreading from rachis at usually less than 70°, 1-4(-8) cm, glabrous to glandular; bracteoles 3-12(-23) mm from flowers, blue to green, linear, 3-8(-16) mm, glabrous to glandular. |
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Flowers | sepals bright yellow, puberulent, appearing waxy, lateral sepals ± forward pointing, (11-)14-16 × (6-)9-13 mm, spur straight, ca. 30° below horizontal, 11-20 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-4 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs sparse or absent, ± evenly distributed if present, white to yellow. |
sepals dark blue, usually retaining color upon drying, glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, (6-)10-15(-20) × 4-8 mm, spurs straight, ascending ca. 30° above horizontal, 8-18 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-6(-8) mm, clefts 1-3 mm; hairs centered on base of cleft or on inner lobes, scattered, white, rarely yellow. |
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Fruits | 11-14 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
12-23 mm, 3.3-3.6 times longer than wide, glabrous or puberulent. |
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Seeds | unwinged; seed coat cell surfaces smooth. |
unwinged; seed coats ± pitted, cell surfaces roughened. |
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Delphinium luteum |
Delphinium patens |
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Phenology | Flowering late winter-mid spring. | |||||||||
Habitat | Wet cliffs, coastal grassland or chaparral | |||||||||
Elevation | 0-50 m (0-200 ft) | |||||||||
Distribution |
CA
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CA
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Discussion | Of conservation concern. Delphinium luteum is presently known from only three populations. It is known to hybridize with D. decorum and with D. nudicaule. Populations of D. hesperium subsp. hesperium also occur at the type locality; D. luteum flowers earlier and hybrids are not known. Delphinium luteum is not likely to be mistaken for any other species of Delphinium. It has been treated as a variety of D. nudicaule and is closely related to that species. Sepals of the infrequent yellow-flowered phase of D. nudicaule, however, have a much drabber appearance compared with the bright shining yellow of the sepals in D. luteum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. | ||||||||
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa | ||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||
Name authority | A. Heller: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 6: 68. (1903) | Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 296. (1849) | ||||||||
Web links |