The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

yellow-white larkspur

Sutherland's larkspur

Stems

40-60(-100) cm;

base often reddish, glabrous, ± glaucous.

(15-)30-70 cm;

base often reddish, 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, 1.5-10 × 3-18 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-21, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 3-9(-15) mm (basal), 0.5-6(-10) mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2.

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-)11-26(-37)-flowered, at least 2 times longer than wide;

pedicel 1-3 cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 2-7 mm from flowers, green to blue, linear-lanceolate, 3-5 mm, puberulent.

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, retaining color upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 14-20 × 5-10 mm, spurs gently decurved, ascending 0-20° above horizontal, 14-18 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± covering stamens, white, yellowish, or tan, 8-12 mm, clefts 2-4 mm;

hairs short, sparse, mostly below junction of blade and claw, slightly offset to inner lobes, white.

Fruits

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

(13-)18-25 mm, 4.5-5.2 times longer than wide, puberulent.

Seeds

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

winged on 1 margin;

seed coat cell surfaces roughened.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Delphinium xantholeucum

Delphinium sutherlandii

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring.
Habitat Slopes in open yellow pine forests, grasslands, sage scrub Dry meadows, rock outcrops, open conifer woods
Elevation 150-600 m (500-2000 ft) 400-800 m (1300-2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; WA; BC
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Grumosa
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. 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. 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: 97. (1995)
Web links