Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium viridescens

Delphinium scaposum

Delphinium purpusii
Delphinium viridescens

Wenatchee larkspur

bare-stem larkspur, desert larkspur, tall mountain larkspur

Kern County larkspur, Purpus' larkspur, rose-color larkspur, rose-flower larkspur
Stems

90-150 cm;

base usually green, glabrous.

25-50(-65) cm;

base usually reddish, glabrous, glaucous.

(30-)50-80(-120) cm;

base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.
Leaves

blade cuneate to semicircular, 2-5 × 3-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-21, width 1-8 mm.

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).

blade round, 1.5-6 × 2-10 cm, ± puberulent; ultimate lobes 0-5, width 5-30(-50) mm (basal), 5-20(-40) mm (cauline).
Inflorescences

25-80-flowered, dense;

pedicel 0.5-2 cm, glandular-pubescent;

bracteoles 1-4 mm from flowers, green, lanceolate, 3.5-6 mm, glandular-pubescent.

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.

(8-)12-20(-32)-flowered, ± cylindric;

pedicel ± ascending, (0.5-)1-4(-5) cm, glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 1-6 mm from flowers, green to magenta, linear, 2-4 mm, glandular-puberulent.
Flowers

sepals yellowish green, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals forward pointing, 7-9 × 3-4 mm, spurs decurved, 30-45° below horizontal, often hooked apically, 8-11 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm;

hairs centered, mostly near junction of blade and claw, yellow.

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.

sepals magenta to rose, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, 10-16 × 3-7 mm, spurs straight, 30-45° above horizontal, (10-)14-19 mm;

lower petal blades nearly coplanar with claws, exposing stamens, 3-4 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm;

hairs sparse, scattered, white.
Fruits

8-11 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, puberulent.

12-16 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, glabrous.

(11-)18-29 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous.
Seeds

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces ± roughened.

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

seed coats with small wavy ridges, cells brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces smooth.
2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium viridescens

Delphinium scaposum

Delphinium purpusii
Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring. Flowering spring.
Habitat Wet meadows and streamsides in coniferous forest, heavy clay soils Juniper woods, grassland Talus, cliffs, on and near large boulders
Elevation 500-1000 m (1600-3300 ft) 1200-2700 m (3900-8900 ft) 300-1300 m (1000-4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium viridescens is local in mountains southwest of Wenatchee, Washington.

(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.)

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium purpusii is not likely to be confused with any other Delphinium in North America. Hybrids with Delphinium hansenii subsp. kernense are known to occur.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa
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. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, 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. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, 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. 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. andersonii var. scaposum
Name authority Leiberg: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 11: 39. (1897) Greene: Bot. Gaz. 6: 156. 1881, not D. scaposum W. T. Wang (1957) Brandegee: Bot. Gaz. 27: 444. (1899)
Web links 
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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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