The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Kern County larkspur, Purpus' larkspur, rose-color larkspur, rose-flower larkspur

Chiricahua Mountain larkspur

Stems

(30-)50-80(-120) cm;

base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.

60-200 +cm;

base reddish or not, glabrous, glaucous.

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 cordate to semicircular, 5-8 × 5-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-16, width 3-20 mm, tips gradually tapered to mucronate apex;

midcauline leaf lobes more than 3 times longer than wide.

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.

20-80-flowered;

pedicel 1-2(-3) cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 1-3 mm from flowers, green to brown, linear-lanceolate, 3-6 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 purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 9-12 × 5-7 mm, spurs ascending ca. 45°, curved downward apically, purple, 10-13 mm, blunt tipped;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 1.5-2.5 mm;

hairs centered, densest on inner lobes near base of cleft, white.

Fruits

(11-)18-29 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous.

12-15 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, sparsely puberulent.

Seeds

seed coats with small wavy ridges, cells brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces smooth.

unwinged;

seed coat cells elongate, surfaces pustulate.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium purpusii

Delphinium andesicola

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Talus, cliffs, on and near large boulders Meadows and coniferous woods
Elevation 300-1300 m (1000-4300 ft) 2200-3200 m (7200-10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Delphinium andesicola, the westernmost representative of the southern Cordilleran complex, is found in the Chiricahua, Huachuca, Graham, and White mountains. Hybrids with Delphinium scopulorum are known.

(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
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. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, 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. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, 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. parishii, 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
Synonyms D. andesicola subsp. amplum
Name authority Brandegee: Bot. Gaz. 27: 444. (1899) Ewan: J. Washington Acad. Sci. 29: 476. (1939)
Web links