Delphinium luteum |
Delphinium robustum |
|
---|---|---|
golden larkspur, yellow larkspur |
robust larkspur, wahatoya creek larkspur |
|
Stems | 20-40(-55) cm; base often reddish, nearly glabrous. |
100-200(-250) cm; base sometimes reddish, glabrous, glaucous. |
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, 7-12 × 10-20 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-15, width 6-30 mm, tips gradually tapered to mucronate apex; midcauline leaf lobes more than 3 times longer than wide. |
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. |
40-90(-180)-flowered; pedicel 0.5-2 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 4-6 mm from flowers, green to purple, linear, 5-8 mm, puberulent. |
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 bluish purple to pale lavender, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals ± forward pointing, 9-14 × 4-6 mm, spurs slightly decurved, 30-45° above horizontal, dark blue, 10-13 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, clefts 2-3 mm; hairs centered, mostly on inner lobes near base of cleft, yellow to white. |
Fruits | 11-14 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
13-18 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
Seeds | unwinged; seed coat cell surfaces smooth. |
wing-margined; seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth. |
Delphinium luteum |
Delphinium robustum |
|
Phenology | Flowering late winter-mid spring. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Wet cliffs, coastal grassland or chaparral | Riparian woodlands, subalpine meadows |
Elevation | 0-50 m (0-200 ft) | 2200-3000 m (7200-9800 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
|
CO; NM |
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.) |
Of conservation concern. Delphinium robustum is the representative of the southern Cordilleran complex from the Jemez, San Antonio, San Juan, San Pedro, and Sangre de Cristo mountains. Hybrids are known with D. sapellonis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | A. Heller: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 6: 68. (1903) | Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 276. (1901) |
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