Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium xantholeucum

Delphinium basalticum

yellow-white larkspur
Delphinium basalticum

basalt larkspur, basaltic larkspur, Columbia Gorge larkspur
Stems

40-60(-100) cm;

base often reddish, glabrous, ± glaucous.

20-50(-65) cm;

base often reddish, puberulent.
Leaves

blade round, 2-6 × 4-10 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 3-8 mm (basal), 1-5 mm (cauline).

blade round, 2-6 × 5-9 cm, not succulent, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-19, width 3-15 mm (basal), 1-12 mm (cauline).
Inflorescences

10-20(-60)-flowered, narrowly pyramidal;

pedicel spreading, yellowish, 1.5-3 cm, ± glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 6-12 mm from flowers, green to light brown, linear to lanceolate, 4-7 mm, nearly glabrous.

(2-)6-16(-26)-flowered;

pedicel 2-7 cm, nearly glabrous;

bracteoles 4-12 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-7 mm, nearly glabrous.
Flowers

sepals yellow, glabrous, lateral sepals reflexed, 9-12 × 3-5 mm, spurs straight, ascending ca. 45° above horizontal, 11-15 mm;

lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 1-2 mm;

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

sepals dark blue, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 15-21 × 7-10 mm, spur straight to decurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 14-18 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 7-9 mm, cleft 4-5 mm;

hairs centered, mostly on inner lobes above base of cleft, yellow to white.
Fruits

15-22 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to glandular-puberulent.

12-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, glabrous.
Seeds

seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth.

± wing-margined;

seed coat cells with surfaces smooth.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium xantholeucum

Delphinium basalticum
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring (-early summer).
Habitat Slopes in open yellow pine forests, grasslands, sage scrub Basaltic cliff faces, n and e slopes at base of cliffs
Elevation 150-600 m (500-2000 ft) 200-500 m (700-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium xantholeucum is very local; much of the habitat of this species has been converted to orchards.

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

Of conservation concern.

Hybrids between Delphinium basalticum and D. trolliifolium are known.

(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. Bicoloria
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. viridescens, D. wootonii
D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, 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 Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 280. (1906) M. J. Warnock: Phytologia 78: 91. (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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