Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium parishii

Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum

desert larkspur, Parish's larkspur
Photo is of parent taxon

intermediate larkspur, oceanblue larkspur
Stems

(17-)30-60(-100) cm;

base reddish or not, glabrous to puberulent.

(19-)30-50(-78) cm.
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).

basal and cauline; ultimate lobes 7-12, lobes of basal leaves nearly as narrow as lobes of cauline.
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.

pedicel 3-20 mm, 8-17 mm apart.
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 dark blue, usually spreading, lateral sepals 9-13 × 5-7 mm, spurs 12-14 mm;

lower petal blades 4-6 mm.
Fruits

9-21 mm, 2-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent.

8-11 mm.
Seeds

seed coat cells ± brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces roughened.

Delphinium parishii

Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum
Phenology Flowering late winter-mid spring.
Habitat Dry chaparral and desert scrub
Elevation 600-1300 m (2000-4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum occurs only on the eastern side of peninsular ranges.

Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum hybridizes with D. parryi subsp. parryi. Likely to be confused only with D. parryi, D. parishii subsp. subglobosum may be differentiated from that species by its lack of arched hairs on stems.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Lateral sepals reflexed; sepals bright, ± sky blue.
subsp. parishii
1. Lateral sepals not reflexed; sepals dark blue or white to pink.
→ 2
2. Sepals dark blue; flowers rarely present after 20 May.
subsp. subglobosum
2. Sepals white, pinkish, or purplish; flowers rarely present before 20 May.
subsp. pallidum
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa > Delphinium parishii
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. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, 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. parishii subsp. pallidum, D. parishii subsp. parishii
Subordinate taxa
D. parishii subsp. pallidum, D. parishii subsp. parishii, D. parishii subsp. subglobosum
Synonyms D. subglobosum
Name authority A. Gray: Bot. Gaz. 12: 53. (1887) (Wiggins) H. F. Lewis & Epling: Brittonia 8: 15. (1954)
Web links 
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).



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