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umbrella larkspur

Baker's delphinium, Baker's larkspur

Stems

40-70(-90) cm;

base often reddish, glabrous or puberulent.

(45-)60-85(-100) cm;

base reddish, glabrous.

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 pentagonal to round, 1-6 × 1.5-8 cm, margins crenate, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-5, width 2-5 mm (basal), 5-30 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2.

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.

8-23-flowered, at least 2 times longer than wide;

pedicel 1-6(-9) cm, glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 4-6 mm from flowers, green to blue, lance-linear, 5-8(-13) mm, glabrous to glandular-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 bluish purple, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 9-11 × 4-5 mm, spur apex decurved, ± horizontal, 9-13 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, clefts 2-3 mm;

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

Fruits

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

18-20 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous.

Seeds

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

unwinged;

seed coats smooth.

2n

= 16.

Delphinium umbraculorum

Delphinium bakeri

Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Slopes in oak forests Brushlands and coastal chaparral
Elevation 400-1600 m (1300-5200 ft) 100-300 m (300-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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 bakeri is possibly extinct in the wild because of cultivation and sheep grazing in the small area where it grows. It is known from only two localities and has not been collected since 1960. Plants have been grown at Strybing Arboretum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Although their geographic ranges are distinct, D. bakeri is most similar to, and probably closely related to, D. trolliifolium. The former has more rounded incisions on the leaves than the latter, and the pedicel of D. bakeri are consistently glandular. Glandular pedicel appear only occasionally in D. trolliifolium.

(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. 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. uliginosum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, 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
Name authority H. F. Lewis & Epling: Brittonia 8: 19. (1954) Ewan: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 144. (1942)
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