Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium recurvatum

Delphinium lineapetalum

Byron larkspur, recurved larkspur, valley larkspur

thinpetal larkspur
Stems

(18-)30-50(-85) cm;

base reddish, glabrous.

(15-)30-60 cm;

base usually reddish, glabrous to glaucous.
Leaves

blade round to pentagonal, 1-4 × 1.5-6 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-11, width 3-15 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline).

blade round, 1-5 × 2-6 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-16, width 1-4 mm (basal), 0.5-3 mm (cauline).
Inflorescences

(8-)10-25(-47)-flowered, narrowly pyramidal;

pedicel ± spreading, (0.5-)1.5-4(-6) cm, nearly glabrous;

bracteoles 3-8(-18) mm from flowers, green, sometimes margins white, lanceolate to linear, 3-5(-8) mm, nearly glabrous.

(3-)9-24(-40)-flowered, pyramidal;

pedicel spreading, 1-2.5 cm, glabrous or glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 4-7 mm from flowers, blue or green, linear, 1-3 mm, glabrous or glandular-puberulent.
Flowers

sepals light to sky blue (becoming bluer upon drying), puberulent, lateral sepals reflexed, 11-16 × 5-7(-9) mm, spurs straight to gently upcurved, ascending 0-30° above horizontal, 10-15(-18) mm;

lower petal blades elevated, ± exposing stamens, 5-8 mm, clefts 0.5-2.5 mm;

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

sepals light blue to lavender, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, 10-13 × 3-5 mm, spurs straight to slightly decurved, nearly horizontal to ascending ca. 30°, 11-17 mm;

lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm;

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

8-21 mm, 2.2-3 times longer than wide, puberulent.

13-21 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent to glabrous.
Seeds

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

seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium recurvatum

Delphinium lineapetalum
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring.
Habitat Grassland, Atriplex scrub Open pine woods, dry meadows
Elevation 30-600 m (100-2000 ft) 400-1800 m (1300-5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium recurvatum has a very restricted distribution in the Central (especially San Joaquin) Valley. This species was probably much more common in the past; most of its habitat has been converted into irrigated croplands. Delphinium recurvatum grows in poorly drained, alkaline soils on valley floors.

Hybrids are known between Delphinium recurvatum and D. gypsophilum, D. hesperium, D. parryi, and D. variegatum. Delphinium recurvatum is most likely to be confused with D. gypsophilum or D. hesperium subsp. pallescens. Distinguishing features are found in discussions of those taxa.

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

Of conservation concern.

(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. Subscaposa
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. purpusii, D. ramosum, 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. 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. 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. hesperium var. recurvatum D. nuttallianum var. lineapetalum
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 1: 285. (1889) Ewan: Univ. Colorado Stud., Ser. D, Phys. Sci. 2: 126. (1945)
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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