Delphinium parryi
Delphinium
Parry's larkspur, San Bernardino larkspur
delphinium, larkspur
(10-)40-80(-110) cm;
base reddish, puberulent.
blade pentagonal, 1-7 × 2-10 cm, ± puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-27, width 1-20 mm (basal), 0.5-5 mm (cauline).
blade deeply palmately divided, round to pentagonal or reniform, margins entire or lobes apically crenate or lacerate, lobes of basal blades wider and fewer than those of cauline blades.
(2-)8-24(-48)-flowered, cylindric;
pedicel ± spreading, (0.5-)1-3(-6.8) cm, usually puberulent;
bracteoles 2-7(-16) mm from flowers, green to blue, lance-linear, 2-6(-10) mm, puberulent.
terminal, 2-100(-more)-flowered racemes (occasionally branched, thus technically panicles), 5-40 cm or more;
bracts subtending inflorescence branches;
pedicels present or absent;
bracteoles (on pedicels) subopposite-subalternate, not forming involucre.
sepals dark blue to bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading or reflexed, (7-)10-20(-25) × 4-9 mm, spurs straight, ascending 0-30° above horizontal, 9-17(-21) mm;
lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 3-10 mm, clefts 2-6 mm;
hairs mostly near base of cleft, centered or on inner lobes, white.
bisexual, bilaterally symmetric;
sepals not persistent in fruit, 5;
upper sepal 1, spurred, 8-24 mm;
lateral sepals 2, ± ovate to elliptic, 8-18 mm;
lower sepals 2, similar to lateral sepals;
upper petals 2, spurred, enclosed in upper sepal, nectary inside tip of spur;
lower petals 2, plane, ± ovate, ± 2-lobed, clawed, 2-12 mm, nectary absent;
stamens 25-40;
filaments with base expanded;
staminodes absent between stamens and pistils;
pistils 3(-5), simple;
ovules 8-20 per pistil;
style present.
10-19 mm, 2.8-4 times longer than wide, puberulent or glabrous.
follicles, aggregate, sessile, ± curved-cylindric, sides prominently veined or not;
beak terminal, straight, 2-4 mm.
seed coat cells ± brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces ± roughened.
dark brown to black (often appearing white because of air in seed coat cells), rectangular to pyramidal, often ± rough surfaced.
= 8.
Delphinium parryi
Delphinium
Subspecies 5 (5 in the flora).
A number of local phases are found in Delphinium parryi. Five of these appear consistently distinct and are recognized here. Other phases may be locally distinct but grade into other nearby phases. Delphinium parryi hybridizes with D. cardinale (D. ×inflexum Davidson).
The Kawaiisu used the ground root of Delphinium parryi medicinally as a salve for swollen limbs (D. E. Moerman 1986, no subspecies specified).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species ca. 300 (61 in the flora).
Three Eurasian species of Delphinium–D. elatum Linnaeus, D. grandiflorum Linnaeus, and D. tatsienense Franchet–have been commonly cultivated in North America. Of the nonnative taxa, only D. elatum is sporadically naturalized, as far as is known. Isolating mechanisms in Delphinium appear to be primarily ecological, geographic, and/or temporal. Where these distinctions are disrupted, introgression often exists. Hybridization occurs regularly between certain taxa, particularly in areas of disturbance (e.g., roadcuts, drainage ditches, clearcuts). The more common and easily recognized hybrids are included in the key.
Many names have been misapplied in Delphinium. The few misapplied names mentioned in discussions below refer to relatively widespread problems.
Unless otherwise noted, the key and descriptions refer to fresh material. Some features may be significantly altered by pressing; they can, however, usually be determined with a certain amount of effort and experience.
In the descriptions, "base of cleft" refers to the point where the cleft or sinus reaches most deeply into the petal blade.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Basal leaves usually absent at anthesis. | → 2 |
1. Basal leaves usually present at anthesis. | → 3 |
2. Lateral sepals 16–25 mm. | subsp. blochmaniae |
2. Lateral sepals 9–15 mm. | subsp. parryi |
3. Lateral sepals 7–11 mm; above 700 m elevation. | subsp. purpureum |
3. Lateral sepals (9–)12–20 mm; below 700 m elevation. | → 4 |
4. Sepals usually reflexed. | subsp. eastwoodiae |
4. Sepals usually spreading. | subsp. maritimum |
1. Lower petal blades less than 1/5 length of lateral sepals; sepals never red or yellow. | Sect. Elatopsis |
1. Lower petal blades more than 1/5 length of lateral sepals; sepals blue, purple, white, red, or yellow. | Sect. Diedropetala |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
