Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium geyeri

swamp larkspur

Geyer's larkspur, poisonweed
Stems

10-30(-70) cm;

base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.

(15-)30-60(-80) cm;

base usually 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 light green, ± round, 1-5 × 1-6 cm, densely pubescent; ultimate lobes 7-20, width 2-5 mm (basal), 2-4 mm (cauline), apex gradually tapering to point;

veins obscure.
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.

6-30(-60)-flowered, ± open, cylindric;

pedicel ascending to spreading, 1-3(-4) cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 1-3 mm from flowers, green, lanceolate, 3-6 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 bright blue, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 10-18 × 4-8 mm, spurs straight to slightly downcurved, ascending 0-30°, 11-16 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-8 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm;

hairs centered, densest on inner lobes near base of cleft, white to light yellow.
Fruits

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

11-15 mm, 3-3.5 times longer than wide, sparse puberulent.
Seeds

seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy.

unwinged;

seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces ± roughened.
2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium geyeri
Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland Grasslands or Artemisia-Cercocarpus scrub
Elevation 400-600 m (1300-2000 ft) 1400-3000 m (4600-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; MT; NE; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county 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.)

Apparently closely related to Delphinium stachydeum, D. geyeri is generally smaller, earlier flowering, with more finely dissected leaves and a more eastern geographic distribution.

(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. Wislizenana
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. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, 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
Name authority Curran: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 151. (1885) Greene: Erythea 2: 189. (1894)
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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