Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium distichum

swamp larkspur
Delphinium distichum

Burke's larkspur, meadow larkspur, strict larkspur, two-spike larkspur
Stems

10-30(-70) cm;

base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.

(25-)30-60(-80) cm;

base sometimes reddish, puberulent.
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 cuneate to semicircular, 1-5 × 1.5-7 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 5-19, width 2-8(-15) mm (basal), 0.5-3(-5) mm (cauline);

margins of basal leaf, measured less than 1 cm from blade base, demarcating considerably more than 90° of arc when leaf laid flat;

most cauline leaf blades exceeding internodes.
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.

8-30(-40)-flowered, usually dense;

pedicel 0.5-1.5 cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 0-3 mm from flowers, green to blue, linear, 4-8 mm, 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 dark blue to bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals ± erect, 8-12 × 3.5-5 mm, spurs straight, horizontal or nearly so, 9-15 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4.5-6.5 mm, clefts 2-3 mm;

hairs centered mostly near base of cleft, white.
Fruits

10-18 mm, 4.1-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent.

7-13 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, ± puberulent.
Seeds

seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy.

seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.
2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium distichum
Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland Wet meadows
Elevation 400-600 m (1300-2000 ft) 100-2400 m (300-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
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 distichum hybridizes with D. multiplex and D. nuttallianum (D. ×diversicolor Rydberg). The name D. burkei has often been misapplied to D. distichum.

(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. Depauperata
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. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, 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. 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. strictum var. distichiflorum
Name authority Curran: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 151. (1885) Geyer ex Hooker: J. Bot. 6: 68. (1847)
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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