Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium umbraculorum

Delphinium alpestre

umbrella larkspur

alpine larkspur, Colorado larkspur
Stems

40-70(-90) cm;

base often reddish, glabrous or puberulent.

5-25 cm;

base green, puberulent.
Leaves

blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-4 × 2-6 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-13, width 3-20 mm (basal), 1-8 mm (cauline).

blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-5 × 2-5 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 2-11 mm.
Inflorescences

(5-)10-25(-45)-flowered, open, narrowly pyramidal;

pedicel 0.5-3(-7) cm, glabrous to puberulent;

bracteoles 3-7 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-6 mm, puberulent.

2-8-flowered;

pedicel 1-4 cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 1-3 mm from flowers, green, linear-lanceolate, 6-10 mm, puberulent.
Flowers

sepals dark blue, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 9-16 × 4-7 mm, spurs gently upcurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 8-14 mm;

lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3.5-6 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm;

hairs densest near junction of blade and claw above base of cleft, centered or on inner lobes, white.

sepals dark blue, apex rounded, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading to forward pointing, 11-14 × 5-7 mm, spurs straight except usually slightly down-curved at apex, varying from 20° above to 20° below horizontal, 8-12 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 2-4 mm;

hairs sparse, mostly near base of cleft, centered on inner lobes, white.
Fruits

9-16(-19) mm, 2.5-3(-4) times longer than wide, puberulent.

7-12 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds

seed coat cells brick-shaped, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth.

unwinged;

seed coat cells elongate, surface roughened.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium umbraculorum

Delphinium alpestre
Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering mid-late summer.
Habitat Slopes in oak forests Exposed talus slopes on high peaks
Elevation 400-1600 m (1300-5200 ft) (3400-)3800 m and above ((11200-)12500 ft and above)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; NM
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Delphinium umbraculorum is most often confused with D. patens subsp. hepaticoideum; refer to discussion of that taxon for distinguishing features. Hybrids occur with D. parryi and D. patens subsp. montanum.

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

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium alpestre is very similar to D. ramosum, possibly divergent from that taxon only since the most recent glaciation of North America, during which ancestors of D. alpestre might have survived on peaks above the ice, while ancestors of D. ramosum survived in valleys below the ice. Since glaciation, D. ramosum apparently has migrated upslope, near but not adjoining populations of D. alpestre.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Exaltata
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. uliginosum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
D. alabamicum, 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. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
Synonyms D. ramosum var. alpestre
Name authority H. F. Lewis & Epling: Brittonia 8: 19. (1954) Rydberg: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 146. (1902)
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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