Delphinium menziesii |
Delphinium purpusii |
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Menzies' larkspur |
Kern County larkspur, Purpus' larkspur, rose-color larkspur, rose-flower larkspur |
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Stems | (10-)35-70(-85) cm; base often reddish, puberulent. |
(30-)50-80(-120) cm; base reddish or not, nearly glabrous. |
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Leaves | 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, 1.5-6 × 2-10 cm, ± puberulent; ultimate lobes 0-5, width 5-30(-50) mm (basal), 5-20(-40) mm (cauline). |
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Inflorescences | 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. |
(8-)12-20(-32)-flowered, ± cylindric; pedicel ± ascending, (0.5-)1-4(-5) cm, glandular-puberulent; bracteoles 1-6 mm from flowers, green to magenta, linear, 2-4 mm, glandular-puberulent. |
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Flowers | 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 magenta to rose, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, 10-16 × 3-7 mm, spurs straight, 30-45° above horizontal, (10-)14-19 mm; lower petal blades nearly coplanar with claws, exposing stamens, 3-4 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs sparse, scattered, white. |
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Fruits | 11-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
(11-)18-29 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
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Seeds | wing-margined; seed coat cell surfaces smooth, without swollen blunt hair. |
seed coats with small wavy ridges, cells brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces smooth. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Delphinium menziesii |
Delphinium purpusii |
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Phenology | Flowering spring. | |||||
Habitat | Talus, cliffs, on and near large boulders | |||||
Elevation | 300-1300 m (1000-4300 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
OR; WA; BC
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CA
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Discussion | 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.) |
Of conservation concern. Delphinium purpusii is not likely to be confused with any other Delphinium in North America. Hybrids with Delphinium hansenii subsp. kernense are known to occur. (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. Grumosa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Name authority | de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 1: 355. (1817) | Brandegee: Bot. Gaz. 27: 444. (1899) | ||||
Web links |