Delphinium menziesii
Delphinium carolinianum
Menzies' larkspur
Carolina larkspur
(10-)35-70(-85) cm;
base often reddish, puberulent.
(20-)40-90(-150) cm;
base reddish or not, ± pubescent.
blade round, 1.5-5 × 3-9 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 5-18, width 2-15 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2.
blade round to pentagonal, 1-8 × 2-12 cm, pubescence variable; ultimate lobes 3-29, width 2-10 mm (basal), 1-7 mm (cauline).
3-15(-43)-flowered;
pedicel 1.5-4(-7) cm, (glandular) puberulent;
bracteoles 8-10(-24) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear, 4-6(-9) mm, puberulent.
(3-)8-27(-94)-flowered;
pedicel (0.4-)0.7-1.8(-5.7) cm, nearly glabrous to glandular;
bracteoles 1-3.5(-6) mm from flowers, green or blue, linear, 2-7 mm, pubescence nearly glabrous to glandular.
sepals bluish purple or yellowish, often partly fading upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (11-)13-20 × 5-11 mm, spurs straight, ascending less than 30° above horizontal, 11-17 mm;
lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 8-12 mm, clefts 0.2-2.5 mm;
hairs sparse, centered, mostly near junction of blade and claw above base of cleft, white or blue.
sepals purple to blue to white, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (7-)9-14(-17) × (3-)3.5-6(-8) mm, spurs ± upcurved, ascending 20-90° above vertical, (9-)11-17(-19) mm;
lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, cleft 2-4 mm;
hairs centered, densest near base of cleft, white, sometimes blue or yellow.
11-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
(10-)12.5-18.5(-27) mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent.
wing-margined;
seed coat cell surfaces smooth, without swollen blunt hair.
seed coat cells with surfaces pustulate or smooth.
Delphinium menziesii
Delphinium carolinianum
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Although Delphinium menziesii has often been confused with D. nuttallii, it may be distinguished by its consistently larger flowers and usually fewer flowers per plant. Interestingly, each species produces both blue-purple and yellowish flower colors in separate populations.
The Chehalis consider Delphinium menziesii poisonous, but they also apply it to sores. The women of the Thompson Indians use it as a love charm (D. E. Moerman 1986, subspecies not indicated).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 4 (4 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Sepals blue to purple. | subsp. menziesii |
1. Sepals yellowish to white. | subsp. pallidum |
1. Basal leaves absent at anthesis, cauline leaves divided into many narrow (less than 2 mm wide) segments, blade not distinctly 3-parted; distalmost petiole less than 5 mm; sepals usually blue or purple (rarely white). | subsp. carolinianum |
1. Basal leaves usually present at anthesis, and/or cauline leaf lobes usually wider than 2 mm, blade often distinctly 3-parted or more; distalmost petiole more than 5 mm; sepals blue or white. | → 2 |
2. Leaf blade distinctly 3-parted with few additional divisions; sepals blue to white; roots usually ± vertical, often without major branches. | subsp. vimineum |
2. Leaf blade with 3–5 or more major divisions, each further divided into segments; sepals white to very pale blue; roots ±horizontal with several major branches. | → 3 |
3. Stems usually less than 45 cm; in thin soils over limestone in clearings of deciduous woods; leaf blade with 3 major divisions; e of Mississippi River. | subsp. calciphilum |
3. Stems usually more than 45 cm; in deeper soils in grasslands; leaf blade with 5 or more major divisions; w of Mississippi River. | subsp. virescens |
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