Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium menziesii |
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yellow-white larkspur |
Menzies' larkspur |
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Stems | 40-60(-100) cm; base often reddish, glabrous, ± glaucous. |
(10-)35-70(-85) cm; base often reddish, 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, 1.5-5 × 3-9 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 5-18, width 2-15 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. |
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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. |
3-15(-43)-flowered; pedicel 1.5-4(-7) cm, (glandular) puberulent; bracteoles 8-10(-24) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear, 4-6(-9) 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 bluish purple or yellowish, often partly fading upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (11-)13-20 × 5-11 mm, spurs straight, ascending less than 30° above horizontal, 11-17 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 8-12 mm, clefts 0.2-2.5 mm; hairs sparse, centered, mostly near junction of blade and claw above base of cleft, white or blue. |
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Fruits | 15-22 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to glandular-puberulent. |
11-17 mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, puberulent. |
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Seeds | seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
wing-margined; seed coat cell surfaces smooth, without swollen blunt hair. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium menziesii |
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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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OR; WA; BC
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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). Although Delphinium menziesii has often been confused with D. nuttallii, it may be distinguished by its consistently larger flowers and usually fewer flowers per plant. Interestingly, each species produces both blue-purple and yellowish flower colors in separate populations. The Chehalis consider Delphinium menziesii poisonous, but they also apply it to sores. The women of the Thompson Indians use it as a love charm (D. E. Moerman 1986, subspecies not indicated). (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. Grumosa | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Name authority | Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 280. (1906) | de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 1: 355. (1817) | ||||
Web links |