Delphinium parryi
Delphinium polycladon
Parry's larkspur, San Bernardino larkspur
high mountain larkspur, mountain marsh larkspur
(10-)40-80(-110) cm;
base reddish, puberulent.
(20-)60-100(-160) cm;
base reddish or not, glabrous.
blade pentagonal, 1-7 × 2-10 cm, ± puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-27, width 1-20 mm (basal), 0.5-5 mm (cauline).
blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-7 × 2-14 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 4-30(-45) mm (basal), 3-30 mm (cauline).
(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.
3-15(-35)-flowered, open, often ± secund;
pedicel 1-4(-15) cm, glabrous to puberulent;
bracteoles 2-8(-37) mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-7(-11) mm, nearly glabrous.
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.
sepals bluish purple, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (10-)12-18 × 7-10 mm, spurs usually downcurved, ca. 30° below horizontal, 11-22 mm;
lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 1-2 mm;
hairs mostly near base of cleft on inner lobes, yellow, sometimes white.
10-19 mm, 2.8-4 times longer than wide, puberulent or glabrous.
13-20 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
seed coat cells ± brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces ± roughened.
unwinged;
seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.
= 16.
Delphinium parryi
Delphinium polycladon
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.)
Delphinium polycladon hybridizes with D. depauperatum and D. glaucum. Plants of D. polycladon are extremely variable. Individuals from very rocky, thin-soiled, sunny sites at higher elevations tend to be quite compact; they show the features of the species in a dwarfed state. Proximal internodes are especially shortened. Plants from areas of deeper soil (high or low elevations), especially those growing among shrubs, usually are much taller, with elongate proximal internodes, and other vegetative parts proportionally larger. Shorter plants may be confused with D. depauperatum or D. nuttallianum; see discussion under those species for distinguishing features. Taller plants may be confused with D. glaucum; they can be distinguished by their leaves predominately on proximal part of stem, sigmoid pedicel, and fewer flowers.
(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 |
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
