Delphinium uliginosum |
Delphinium nudicaule |
|
---|---|---|
swamp larkspur |
canyon delphinium, canyon larkspur, orange larkspur, red larkspur, red or orange larkspur, scarlet larkspur |
|
Stems | 10-30(-70) cm; base reddish or not, nearly glabrous. |
(15-)20-50(-125) cm; base reddish, glabrous. |
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 round to pentagonal, 2-6 × 3-10 cm; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 5-40 mm (basal), 2-20 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. |
5-20(-69)-flowered; pedicel (1.5-)2-6(-8) cm, glabrous to glandular-pubescent; bracteoles 14-20(-30) mm from flowers, green to red, linear, 2-4(-9) mm, glabrous to puberulent. |
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 scarlet to reddish orange, rarely dull yellow, glabrous, lateral sepals forward-pointing to form pseudotube, (6-)8-13(-16) × 3-6 mm, spurs straight, slightly ascending, (12-)18-27(-34) mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 2-3 mm, clefts 0.5-1 mm; hairs sparse, evenly dispersed, yellow. |
Fruits | 10-18 mm, 4.1-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
13-26 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy. |
unwinged or sometimes slightly wing-margined; seed coat cells with surfaces smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium uliginosum |
Delphinium nudicaule |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–early summer. | Flowering late winter–early summer. |
Habitat | Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland | Moist talus, cliff faces |
Elevation | 400-600 m (1300-2000 ft) | 0-2600 m (0-8500 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
|
CA; OR
|
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 nudicaule hybridizes with most other taxa of Delphinium that it encounters. Apparent hybrids involving D. nudicaule, and seen by the author (either afield or as specimens), include D. andersonii, D. antoninum, D. decorum, D. luteum, D. nuttallianum, D. patens, and D. trolliifolium. In addition, garden-grown plants have been hybridized with D. cardinale, D. elatum, D. menziesii, D. parishii, D. penardii, D. tatsienense Franchet, D. triste Fischer ex de Candolle, and D. uliginosum; D. nudicaule does not naturally occur with these species. Delphinium nudicaule is one of the earliest larkspurs to flower in any given locality. Douglas's type collection of D. nudicaule represents plants (synonyms D. sarcophyllum Hooker & Arnott and D. peltatum Hooker, an invalid name) grown under very moist conditions, probably quite near the ocean. The type specimen of D. armeniacum A. Heller represents plants grown under unusually dry conditions. The Mendocino Indians consider Delphinium nudicaule a narcotic (D. E. Moerman 1986). (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. Bicoloria |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. armeniacum | |
Name authority | Curran: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 151. (1885) | Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 33. (1838) |
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