Delphinium purpusii |
Delphinium alpestre |
|
---|---|---|
Kern County larkspur, Purpus' larkspur, rose-color larkspur, rose-flower larkspur |
alpine larkspur, Colorado larkspur |
|
Stems | (30-)50-80(-120) cm; base reddish or not, nearly glabrous. |
5-25 cm; base green, puberulent. |
Leaves | blade round, 1.5-6 × 2-10 cm, ± puberulent; ultimate lobes 0-5, width 5-30(-50) mm (basal), 5-20(-40) mm (cauline). |
blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-5 × 2-5 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 2-11 mm. |
Inflorescences | (8-)12-20(-32)-flowered, ± cylindric; pedicel ± ascending, (0.5-)1-4(-5) cm, glandular-puberulent; bracteoles 1-6 mm from flowers, green to magenta, linear, 2-4 mm, glandular-puberulent. |
2-8-flowered; pedicel 1-4 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 1-3 mm from flowers, green, linear-lanceolate, 6-10 mm, puberulent. |
Flowers | sepals magenta to rose, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, 10-16 × 3-7 mm, spurs straight, 30-45° above horizontal, (10-)14-19 mm; lower petal blades nearly coplanar with claws, exposing stamens, 3-4 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs sparse, scattered, white. |
sepals dark blue, apex rounded, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading to forward pointing, 11-14 × 5-7 mm, spurs straight except usually slightly down-curved at apex, varying from 20° above to 20° below horizontal, 8-12 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 2-4 mm; hairs sparse, mostly near base of cleft, centered on inner lobes, white. |
Fruits | (11-)18-29 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
7-12 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
Seeds | seed coats with small wavy ridges, cells brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces smooth. |
unwinged; seed coat cells elongate, surface roughened. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium purpusii |
Delphinium alpestre |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering mid-late summer. |
Habitat | Talus, cliffs, on and near large boulders | Exposed talus slopes on high peaks |
Elevation | 300-1300 m (1000-4300 ft) | (3400-)3800 m and above ((11200-)12500 ft and above) |
Distribution |
CA
|
CO; NM |
Discussion | Of conservation concern. Delphinium purpusii is not likely to be confused with any other Delphinium in North America. Hybrids with Delphinium hansenii subsp. kernense are known to occur. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Of conservation concern. Delphinium alpestre is very similar to D. ramosum, possibly divergent from that taxon only since the most recent glaciation of North America, during which ancestors of D. alpestre might have survived on peaks above the ice, while ancestors of D. ramosum survived in valleys below the ice. Since glaciation, D. ramosum apparently has migrated upslope, near but not adjoining populations of D. alpestre. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. ramosum var. alpestre | |
Name authority | Brandegee: Bot. Gaz. 27: 444. (1899) | Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 146. (1902) |
Web links |