Delphinium menziesii
Delphinium tricorne
Menzies' larkspur
dwarf larkspur, rock larkspur
(10-)35-70(-85) cm;
base often reddish, puberulent.
20-60 cm;
base often reddish, nearly glabrous.
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, 2-8 × 4-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-18, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 2-10 mm (basal), 4-10 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2.
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.
5-15(-30)-flowered, less than 3 times longer than wide;
pedicel 1-2.5 cm, puberulent;
bracteoles 1-4(-6) mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-5 mm, puberulent.
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 deep bluish purple to pink or white, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 11-19 × 4-7 mm, spurs straight, within 30° of horizontal, 13-16 mm;
lower petal blades ± covering stamens, blue, except sometimes in white-flowered plants, 6-10 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm;
hairs sparse, mostly centered near junction of blade and claw, white.
11-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
14-22 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, nearly glabrous.
wing-margined;
seed coat cell surfaces smooth, without swollen blunt hair.
unwinged;
surface of each seed coat cell with 1-5 small, swollen, elongate, blunt, hairlike structures, barely visible at 20x, otherwise smooth.
= 16.
Delphinium menziesii
Delphinium tricorne
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.)
Delphinium tricorne is the most commonly encountered larkspur east of the Great Plains.
The Cherokee prepared infusions of Delphinium tricorne to ingest for heart problems, although they believed the roots of the plant made cows drunk and killed them (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Sepals blue to purple. | subsp. menziesii |
1. Sepals yellowish to white. | subsp. pallidum |
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