Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium sutherlandii

swamp larkspur

Sutherland's larkspur
Stems

10-30(-70) cm;

base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.

(15-)30-70 cm;

base often 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, 1.5-10 × 3-18 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-21, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 3-9(-15) mm (basal), 0.5-6(-10) mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2.
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-)11-26(-37)-flowered, at least 2 times longer than wide;

pedicel 1-3 cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 2-7 mm from flowers, green to blue, linear-lanceolate, 3-5 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, retaining color upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 14-20 × 5-10 mm, spurs gently decurved, ascending 0-20° above horizontal, 14-18 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± covering stamens, white, yellowish, or tan, 8-12 mm, clefts 2-4 mm;

hairs short, sparse, mostly below junction of blade and claw, slightly offset to inner lobes, white.
Fruits

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

(13-)18-25 mm, 4.5-5.2 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds

seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy.

winged on 1 margin;

seed coat cell surfaces roughened.
2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium sutherlandii
Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland Dry meadows, rock outcrops, open conifer woods
Elevation 400-600 m (1300-2000 ft) 400-800 m (1300-2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; WA; BC
[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.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa
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. 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. 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) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 97. (1995)
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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