Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium gypsophilum |
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yellow-white larkspur |
gypsum-loving larkspur, Pinoche Creek larkspur |
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Stems | 40-60(-100) cm; base often reddish, glabrous, ± glaucous. |
(30-)60-100(-150) cm; base usually reddish, glabrous, glaucous. |
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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 to pentagonal, 1.5-6 × 2-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-12, width 3-24 mm (basal), 1-8 mm (cauline). |
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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. |
15-30(-64)-flowered, cylindric; pedicel spreading, (0.5-)1.5-3.5 cm, glabrous; bracteoles 2-6 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-5 mm, glabrous. |
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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 rarely reflexed, white to pink, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, 7-19 × 3-10 mm, spurs straight to upcurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 7-15 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-8 mm, clefts 1-4 mm; hairs centered near base of cleft, ± evenly distributed, white. |
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Fruits | 15-22 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to glandular-puberulent. |
9-18 mm, 2.5-3.2 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
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Seeds | seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
seed coat cells brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces roughened. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium gypsophilum |
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Phenology | Flowering spring. | |||||
Habitat | Slopes in open yellow pine forests, grasslands, sage scrub | |||||
Elevation | 150-600 m (500-2000 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
WA
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CA
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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.) |
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora). Delphinium gypsophilum is sometimes confused with D. hesperium subsp. pallescens, D. recurvatum, and the white-flowered phases of D. hansenii subsp. kernense. The echinate seeds and long-haired petioles of D. hansenii immediately distinguish it from D. gypsophilum, which has neither. Delphinium gypsophilum is related, and similar in many respects, to D. recurvatum. The two may be distinguished morphologically by their sepals. Delphinium recurvatum has reflexed, blue sepals; those of D. gypsophilum are spreading and white, although they may change to light blue when dry. Plants of D. recurvatum normally are less than 60 cm; those of D. gypsophilum are usually more than 60 cm. Ecologically, D. recurvatum occupies level ground among shrubs, typically in alkaline valley bottoms; D. gypsophilum is found on well-drained hillsides among grasses and in chaparral and oak woodland. From Delphinium hesperium subsp. pallescens, specimens of D. gypsophilum may be separated by their much more finely dissected leaves, with less surface area, stem base usually reddish, stems frequently glaucous proximally, undulate margins of seed coat cells, and absence of striations in stem base of dried specimens. In contrast, D. hesperium subsp. pallescens has leaves less dissected, with greater surface area, stem base rarely reddish, stem not glaucous proximally, seed coat cells with straight margins, and striations present on the proximal stem of dried specimens. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. | ||||
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa | Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Name authority | Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 280. (1906) | Ewan: Univ. Colorado Stud., Ser. D, Phys. Sci. 2: 189. (1945) | ||||
Web links |