FNA: Delphinium uliginosum vs. Delphinium hutchinsoniae

	Delphinium uliginosum	Delphinium hutchinsoniae
	swamp larkspur	Hutchinson's delphinium, Hutchinson's larkspur, Monterey larkspur
Stems	10-30(-70) cm; base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.	(25-)50-80(-100) cm; base reddish, not longitudinally ridged, variably 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 round to pentagonal, 1-6 × 1.5-10 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-17, width 4-16(-25) mm (basal), 1-8(-19) 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.	(2-)7-20(-31)-flowered, open; pedicel 1-4(-6) cm, puberulent; bracteoles (2-)8-12 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-6(-9) 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 bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (12-)14-19(-24) × 7-12(-15) mm, spurs ascending, decurved apically, 11-19 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, mostly covering stamens, 5-10 mm, cleft 2-3 mm; hairs sparse, mostly on inner lobes, absent on margins, white.
Fruits	10-18 mm, 4.1-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent.	9-21 mm, 2.5-4.2 times longer than wide, sparsely puberulent.
Seeds	seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy.	not echinate, ± smooth to naked eye; seed coat cells with margins ± undulate, surfaces smooth.
2n	= 16.

	Delphinium uliginosum	Delphinium hutchinsoniae
Phenology	Flowering late spring–early summer.	Flowering spring.
Habitat	Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland	Coastal chaparral, clearings in coniferous woods
Elevation	400-600 m [1300-2000 ft]	0-400 m [0-1300 ft]
Distribution	CA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CA [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.)	Of conservation concern. Delphinium hutchinsoniae is known from only a few populations near Monterey and south to the Big Sur region. Hybrids have been produced between D. hutchinsoniae and D. cardinale grown in a common garden. Hybrids also occur with D. parryi subsp. maritimum. Delphinium hutchinsoniae is similar, and probably closely related, to D. variegatum. The two may be distinguished by the decurved spur of D. hutchinsoniae; the spur of D. variegatum is normally straight (or decurved nearer apex). Delphinium hutchinsoniae lacks marginal hairs on lower petals; such hairs are present in D. variegatum. The two species are also geographically separated. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 3. Treatment author: Michael J. Warnock.	FNA vol. 3. Treatment author: Michael J. Warnock.
Parent taxa	Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata	Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Echinata
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. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, 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)	Ewan: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 78: 379. (1951)
Web links	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Delphinium hutchinsoniae

swamp larkspur

Hutchinson's delphinium, Hutchinson's larkspur, Monterey larkspur

Stems

10-30(-70) cm;

base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.

(25-)50-80(-100) cm;

base reddish, not longitudinally ridged, variably 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 round to pentagonal, 1-6 × 1.5-10 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-17, width 4-16(-25) mm (basal), 1-8(-19) 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.

(2-)7-20(-31)-flowered, open;

pedicel 1-4(-6) cm, puberulent;

bracteoles (2-)8-12 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-6(-9) 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 bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (12-)14-19(-24) × 7-12(-15) mm, spurs ascending, decurved apically, 11-19 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, mostly covering stamens, 5-10 mm, cleft 2-3 mm;

hairs sparse, mostly on inner lobes, absent on margins, white.

Fruits

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

9-21 mm, 2.5-4.2 times longer than wide, sparsely puberulent.

Seeds

seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy.

not echinate, ± smooth to naked eye;

seed coat cells with margins ± undulate, surfaces smooth.

= 16.

Delphinium hutchinsoniae

Phenology

Flowering late spring–early summer.

Flowering spring.

Habitat

Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland

Coastal chaparral, clearings in coniferous woods

Elevation

400-600 m [1300-2000 ft]

0-400 m [0-1300 ft]

Distribution

[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium hutchinsoniae is known from only a few populations near Monterey and south to the Big Sur region. Hybrids have been produced between D. hutchinsoniae and D. cardinale grown in a common garden. Hybrids also occur with D. parryi subsp. maritimum.

Delphinium hutchinsoniae is similar, and probably closely related, to D. variegatum. The two may be distinguished by the decurved spur of D. hutchinsoniae; the spur of D. variegatum is normally straight (or decurved nearer apex). Delphinium hutchinsoniae lacks marginal hairs on lower petals; such hairs are present in D. variegatum. The two species are also geographically separated.

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

Source

FNA vol. 3. Treatment author: Michael J. Warnock.

Parent taxa

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Echinata

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. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, 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)

Ewan: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 78: 379. (1951)

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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Flora of North America species comparison

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium hutchinsoniae

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium hutchinsoniae