Delphinium parishii |
Delphinium menziesii |
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desert larkspur, Parish's larkspur |
Menzies' larkspur |
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Stems | (17-)30-60(-100) cm; base reddish or not, glabrous to puberulent. |
(10-)35-70(-85) cm; base often reddish, puberulent. |
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Leaves | blade pentagonal, 0.7-5 × 1-8 cm, glabrous to puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-18, width 2-18 mm (basal), 0.5-8 mm (cauline). |
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. |
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Inflorescences | (6-)10-40(-74)-flowered, cylindric; pedicel ascending-spreading, (0.3-)1-2.5(-4.8) cm, glabrous to puberulent; bracteoles 2-5(-10) mm from flowers, green, lance-linear, 2-6(-16) mm, glabrous to puberulent. |
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. |
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Flowers | sepals dark blue to white to pink, often puberulent, lateral sepals reflexed or spreading, (7-)9-13 × 2-7 mm, spurs ± decurved, ascending 20-45° above horizontal, 7-15 mm; lower petal blades ± elevated, exposing stamens, blue or white to pink (concolorous with sepals), 3-6 mm, clefts 1-3 mm; hairs mostly near base of cleft, centered or on inner lobes, white. |
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. |
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Fruits | 9-21 mm, 2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent. |
11-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
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Seeds | seed coat cells ± brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces roughened. |
wing-margined; seed coat cell surfaces smooth, without swollen blunt hair. |
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Delphinium parishii |
Delphinium menziesii |
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Distribution |
AZ; CA; NV; UT; nw Mexico
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OR; WA; BC
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Discussion | Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. | ||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa | ||||||||||||
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Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||
Name authority | A. Gray: Bot. Gaz. 12: 53. (1887) | de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 1: 355. (1817) | ||||||||||||
Web links |