Delphinium uliginosum |
Delphinium inopinum |
|
---|---|---|
swamp larkspur |
unexpected larkspur |
|
Stems | 10-30(-70) cm; base reddish or not, nearly glabrous. |
70-110(-150) cm; base reddish or not, glabrous, often glaucous. |
Leaves | blade obdeltoid, apically several parted, 1-8 × 1-7 cm, ± fleshy, glabrous; ultimate lobes 0-3, width 3-20 mm (cauline only); margins of basal leaf, measured less than 1 cm from blade base, demarcating less than 90° of arc when leaf laid flat. |
blade ± pentagonal, 1-5 × 1.5-7 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-9, width 5-28 mm (basal), 3-18 mm (cauline). |
Inflorescences | 5-20(-48)-flowered, ± open; pedicel 0.3-3(-10) cm, glabrous to puberulent; bracteoles 2-3(-5) mm from flowers, green to blue, lanceolate-linear, 3-4(-7) mm, puberulent. |
20-35(-51)-flowered, usually dense; pedicel 0.3-1.5(-2.5) cm, glabrous; bracteoles 2-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 1-2(-4) mm, nearly glabrous. |
Flowers | sepals dark blue, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 9-15 × 5-8 mm, spurs usually upcurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 10-14 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-5 mm, clefts 2-3 mm; hairs centered, densest on inner lobe above base of cleft, also on margins, white. |
sepals white to light blue, glabrous, lateral sepals spreading to forward pointing, 8-12 × 3-5 mm, spurs straight to gently upcurved, ascending 30-60° above horizontal, 9-12 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 1-2 mm; hairs centered, densest near base of cleft, white. |
Fruits | 10-18 mm, 4.1-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
12-20 mm, 2.6-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy. |
wing-margined; seed coat cells surfaces smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium uliginosum |
Delphinium inopinum |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–early summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland | Rock outcrops in open coniferous woods |
Elevation | 400-600 m (1300-2000 ft) | 2200-2800 m (7200-9200 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
|
CA |
Discussion | Although some populations are large, Delphinium uliginosum is very local. Hybrids with D. hesperium subsp. pallescens have been seen. Delphinium uliginosum is a very distinctive species, not likely to be confused with any other. The fan-shaped, slightly dissected leaves are apparently unique in the genus. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Delphinium inopinum is apparently endemic to a white metamorphic rock substrate in the Piute Mountains and southern Sierra Nevada. It is not known to hybridize with any other species, although D. patens subsp. montanum has been collected (when both were flowering) within 1 km of D. inopinum and probably occurs much closer. Delphinium inopinum is often confused with D. parishii subsp. pallidum and superficially resembles some white-flowered individuals of D. hansenii, as well as D. gypsophilum and D. hesperium subsp. pallescens. The massive roots with prominent buds readily distinguish D. inopinum from all of these. In addition, the pubescence found on D. hansenii will separate it from the glabrous D. inopinum. Leaves are rarely seen at anthesis near the base of the stem in D. hesperium subsp. pallescens; they are present in D. inopinum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. parishii var. inopinum | |
Name authority | Curran: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 151. (1885) | (Jepson) H. F. Lewis & Epling: Brittonia 8: 11. (1954) |
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