FNA: Delphinium nudicaule vs. Delphinium robustum

	Delphinium nudicaule	Delphinium robustum
	canyon delphinium, canyon larkspur, orange larkspur, red larkspur, red or orange larkspur, scarlet larkspur	robust larkspur, wahatoya creek larkspur
Stems	(15-)20-50(-125) cm; base reddish, glabrous.	100-200(-250) cm; base sometimes reddish, glabrous, glaucous.
Leaves	blade round to pentagonal, 2-6 × 3-10 cm; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 5-40 mm (basal), 2-20 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	5-20(-69)-flowered; pedicel (1.5-)2-6(-8) cm, glabrous to glandular-pubescent; bracteoles 14-20(-30) mm from flowers, green to red, linear, 2-4(-9) mm, glabrous to puberulent.	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 scarlet to reddish orange, rarely dull yellow, glabrous, lateral sepals forward-pointing to form pseudotube, (6-)8-13(-16) × 3-6 mm, spurs straight, slightly ascending, (12-)18-27(-34) mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 2-3 mm, clefts 0.5-1 mm; hairs sparse, evenly dispersed, 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	13-26 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous.	13-18 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds	unwinged or sometimes slightly wing-margined; seed coat cells with surfaces smooth.	wing-margined; seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth.
2n	= 16.

	Delphinium nudicaule	Delphinium robustum
Phenology	Flowering late winter–early summer.	Flowering summer.
Habitat	Moist talus, cliff faces	Riparian woodlands, subalpine meadows
Elevation	0-2600 m (0-8500 ft)	2200-3000 m (7200-9800 ft)
Distribution	CA; OR [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CO; NM [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Delphinium nudicaule hybridizes with most other taxa of Delphinium that it encounters. Apparent hybrids involving D. nudicaule, and seen by the author (either afield or as specimens), include D. andersonii, D. antoninum, D. decorum, D. luteum, D. nuttallianum, D. patens, and D. trolliifolium. In addition, garden-grown plants have been hybridized with D. cardinale, D. elatum, D. menziesii, D. parishii, D. penardii, D. tatsienense Franchet, D. triste Fischer ex de Candolle, and D. uliginosum; D. nudicaule does not naturally occur with these species. Delphinium nudicaule is one of the earliest larkspurs to flower in any given locality. Douglas's type collection of D. nudicaule represents plants (synonyms D. sarcophyllum Hooker & Arnott and D. peltatum Hooker, an invalid name) grown under very moist conditions, probably quite near the ocean. The type specimen of D. armeniacum A. Heller represents plants grown under unusually dry conditions. The Mendocino Indians consider Delphinium nudicaule a narcotic (D. E. Moerman 1986). (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	D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum	D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
Synonyms	D. armeniacum
Name authority	Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 33. (1838)	Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 276. (1901)
Web links	Local floras: CA, OR Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local Web sites: SW CO Wildflowers WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Delphinium robustum

canyon delphinium, canyon larkspur, orange larkspur, red larkspur, red or orange larkspur, scarlet larkspur

robust larkspur, wahatoya creek larkspur

Stems

(15-)20-50(-125) cm;

base reddish, glabrous.

100-200(-250) cm;

base sometimes reddish, glabrous, glaucous.

Leaves

blade round to pentagonal, 2-6 × 3-10 cm; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 5-40 mm (basal), 2-20 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

5-20(-69)-flowered;

pedicel (1.5-)2-6(-8) cm, glabrous to glandular-pubescent;

bracteoles 14-20(-30) mm from flowers, green to red, linear, 2-4(-9) mm, glabrous to puberulent.

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 scarlet to reddish orange, rarely dull yellow, glabrous, lateral sepals forward-pointing to form pseudotube, (6-)8-13(-16) × 3-6 mm, spurs straight, slightly ascending, (12-)18-27(-34) mm;

lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 2-3 mm, clefts 0.5-1 mm;

hairs sparse, evenly dispersed, 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

13-26 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous.

13-18 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.

Seeds

unwinged or sometimes slightly wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces smooth.

wing-margined;

seed coat cells elongate, surfaces smooth.

= 16.

Delphinium robustum

Phenology

Flowering late winter–early summer.

Flowering summer.

Habitat

Moist talus, cliff faces

Riparian woodlands, subalpine meadows

Elevation

0-2600 m (0-8500 ft)

2200-3000 m (7200-9800 ft)

Distribution

CA; OR

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

CO; NM

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Delphinium nudicaule hybridizes with most other taxa of Delphinium that it encounters. Apparent hybrids involving D. nudicaule, and seen by the author (either afield or as specimens), include D. andersonii, D. antoninum, D. decorum, D. luteum, D. nuttallianum, D. patens, and D. trolliifolium. In addition, garden-grown plants have been hybridized with D. cardinale, D. elatum, D. menziesii, D. parishii, D. penardii, D. tatsienense Franchet, D. triste Fischer ex de Candolle, and D. uliginosum; D. nudicaule does not naturally occur with these species. Delphinium nudicaule is one of the earliest larkspurs to flower in any given locality. Douglas's type collection of D. nudicaule represents plants (synonyms D. sarcophyllum Hooker & Arnott and D. peltatum Hooker, an invalid name) grown under very moist conditions, probably quite near the ocean. The type specimen of D. armeniacum A. Heller represents plants grown under unusually dry conditions.

The Mendocino Indians consider Delphinium nudicaule a narcotic (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(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.

Parent taxa

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Bicoloria

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata

Sibling taxa

D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum

D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum

Synonyms

D. armeniacum

Name authority

Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 33. (1838)

Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 276. (1901)

Web links

Local floras: CA, OR
Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog.
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database
LBJ Wildflower Center
SEINet
Plants of the World Online
Encyclopedia of Life
Wikipedia
Google Image Search

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, OregonFlora

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Delphinium nudicaule

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Delphinium nudicaule

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