FNA: Delphinium viridescens vs. Delphinium uliginosum vs. Delphinium sect. Diedropetala

	Delphinium viridescens	Delphinium uliginosum	Delphinium sect. Diedropetala
	Wenatchee larkspur	swamp larkspur
Roots			2-80 cm, tuberlike or fibrous, dry or fleshy; buds often less than 3 mm.
Stems	90-150 cm; base usually green, glabrous.	10-30(-70) cm; base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.	1-8(-19) per root; base firmly attached to root or not.
Leaves	blade cuneate to semicircular, 2-5 × 3-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-21, width 1-8 mm.	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.	cauline and/or in basal rosette, gradually or abruptly reduced into bracts.
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.	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.
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 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 blue, purple, white, red, or yellow; lower petal blades often same color as lateral sepals, usually greater than 1/5 length of lateral sepals (exceptions in red- and yellow-flowered species).
Fruits	8-11 mm, 2.5-3 times longer than wide, puberulent.	10-18 mm, 4.1-4.5 times longer than wide, puberulent.
Seeds	± wing-margined; seed coat cells with surfaces ± roughened.	seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy.
2n		= 16.

	Delphinium viridescens	Delphinium uliginosum	Delphinium sect. Diedropetala
Phenology	Flowering summer.	Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat	Wet meadows and streamsides in coniferous forest, heavy clay soils	Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland
Elevation	500-1000 m (1600-3300 ft)	400-600 m (1300-2000 ft)
Distribution	WA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	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.)	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.	FNA vol. 3, p. 197.
Parent taxa	Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex	Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata	Ranunculaceae > Delphinium
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. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
Subordinate taxa
Name authority	Leiberg: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 11: 39. (1897)	Curran: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 151. (1885)	Huth: Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 20: 420. (1895)
Web links	Local floras: WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Encyclopedia of Life World Flora Online Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Encyclopedia of Life World Flora Online Wikipedia Google Image Search	Google search
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Delphinium viridescens

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium sect. Diedropetala

Wenatchee larkspur

swamp larkspur

Roots

2-80 cm, tuberlike or fibrous, dry or fleshy;

buds often less than 3 mm.

Stems

90-150 cm;

base usually green, glabrous.

10-30(-70) cm;

base reddish or not, nearly glabrous.

1-8(-19) per root;

base firmly attached to root or not.

Leaves

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

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.

cauline and/or in basal rosette, gradually or abruptly reduced into bracts.

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.

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.

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 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 blue, purple, white, red, or yellow;

lower petal blades often same color as lateral sepals, usually greater than 1/5 length of lateral sepals (exceptions in red- and yellow-flowered species).

Fruits

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

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

Seeds

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces ± roughened.

seed coat cells with surfaces bumpy or wavy.

= 16.

Delphinium viridescens

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium sect. Diedropetala

Phenology

Flowering summer.

Flowering late spring–early summer.

Habitat

Wet meadows and streamsides in coniferous forest, heavy clay soils

Serpentine streamsides, chaparral, grassland

Elevation

500-1000 m (1600-3300 ft)

400-600 m (1300-2000 ft)

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[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.)

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, p. 197.

Parent taxa

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Multiplex

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium

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. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum

Subordinate taxa

Name authority

Leiberg: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 11: 39. (1897)

Curran: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 151. (1885)

Huth: Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 20: 420. (1895)

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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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Flora of North America species comparison

Delphinium viridescens

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium sect. Diedropetala

Delphinium viridescens

Delphinium uliginosum

Delphinium sect. Diedropetala