Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium luteum |
|
---|---|---|
yellow-white larkspur |
golden larkspur, yellow larkspur |
|
Stems | 40-60(-100) cm; base often reddish, glabrous, ± glaucous. |
20-40(-55) cm; base often reddish, nearly glabrous. |
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 × 2-10 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-5, width 8-30 mm (basal), 5-15 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. |
5-25(-37)-flowered; pedicel (1-)3-5(-7) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 6-10(-17) mm from flowers, green, linear-lanceolate, 6-7 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 bright yellow, puberulent, appearing waxy, lateral sepals ± forward pointing, (11-)14-16 × (6-)9-13 mm, spur straight, ca. 30° below horizontal, 11-20 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, 3-4 mm, clefts 0.5-1.5 mm; hairs sparse or absent, ± evenly distributed if present, white to yellow. |
Fruits | 15-22 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to glandular-puberulent. |
11-14 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous. |
Seeds | seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
unwinged; seed coat cell surfaces smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium luteum |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering late winter-mid spring. |
Habitat | Slopes in open yellow pine forests, grasslands, sage scrub | Wet cliffs, coastal grassland or chaparral |
Elevation | 150-600 m (500-2000 ft) | 0-50 m (0-200 ft) |
Distribution |
WA
|
CA
|
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. Delphinium luteum is presently known from only three populations. It is known to hybridize with D. decorum and with D. nudicaule. Populations of D. hesperium subsp. hesperium also occur at the type locality; D. luteum flowers earlier and hybrids are not known. Delphinium luteum is not likely to be mistaken for any other species of Delphinium. It has been treated as a variety of D. nudicaule and is closely related to that species. Sepals of the infrequent yellow-flowered phase of D. nudicaule, however, have a much drabber appearance compared with the bright shining yellow of the sepals in D. luteum. (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 | ||
Name authority | Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 280. (1906) | A. Heller: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 6: 68. (1903) |
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