Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium hesperium |
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yellow-white larkspur |
foothill larkspur, western larkspur |
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Stems | 40-60(-100) cm; base often reddish, glabrous, ± glaucous. |
(11-)40-80(-120) cm; base usually reddish, longitudinally ridged, puberulent. |
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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, 1-4 × 2-6 cm, usually puberulent, especially abaxially; ultimate lobes 3-14, width 3-8 mm (basal), 2-5 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. |
(5-)15-30(-100)-flowered, moderately open; pedicel (0.5-)1-2.5(-7.5) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-6(-12) mm from flowers, green to blue, margins often white, linear-lanceolate, 3-7(-12) mm, puberulent. |
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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 dark blue to white, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 7-13(-16) × 3-10 mm, spurs straight to upcurved, ascending 30-45° above horizontal, 9-18 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 3-8 mm, clefts 1-5 mm; hairs centered, denser on inner lobes near base of cleft, white. |
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Fruits | 15-22 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to glandular-puberulent. |
8-18 mm, 2.2-3(-4.2) times longer than wide, sparse puberulent. |
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Seeds | seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
not echinate, appearing ± smooth to naked eye; seed coat cells with margins straight, surfaces smooth or roughened. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium hesperium |
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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 3 (3 in the flora). Delphinium hesperium is thought to be poisonous to cattle (D. E. Moerman 1986, no subspecies specified). It is often confused with D. hansenii. See discussion under that species for distinguishing features. (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. Echinata | ||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||
Name authority | Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 280. (1906) | A. Gray: Bot. Gaz. 12: 53. (1887) | ||||||||
Web links |