Delphinium uliginosum |
Delphinium scaposum |
|
---|---|---|
swamp larkspur |
bare-stem larkspur, desert larkspur, tall mountain larkspur |
|
Stems | 10-30(-70) cm; base reddish or not, nearly glabrous. |
25-50(-65) cm; base usually reddish, glabrous, 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 ± round, 0.5-4 × 0.5-6 cm, puberulent to glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-9, width 2-15 mm (basal), 0.5-3 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. |
10-25(-40)-flowered, cylindric; pedicel ascending, 0.6-2.5 cm, glabrous; bracteoles 2-5 mm from flowers, green to blue, linear-lanceolate, 2-4 mm, 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 bright dark blue, glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 11-14 × 4-6 mm, spurs straight, sometimes decurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 13-18 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 5-8 mm, cleft 2-4 mm; hairs mostly centered on inner lobes near junction of blade and claw, white. |
Fruits | 10-18 mm, 4.1-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
12-16 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy. |
seed coat cells ± brick-shaped, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium uliginosum |
Delphinium scaposum |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–early summer. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland | Juniper woods, grassland |
Elevation | 400-600 m (1300-2000 ft) | 1200-2700 m (3900-8900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
|
AZ; CO; NM; UT
|
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 scaposum is reportedly used in Navajo and Hopi religous ceremonies, as well as for a wash following childbirth (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. Subscaposa |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | D. andersonii var. scaposum | |
Name authority | Curran: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 151. (1885) | Greene: Bot. Gaz. 6: 156. 1881, not D. scaposum W. T. Wang (1957) |
Web links |