Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium tricorne |
|
---|---|---|
yellow-white larkspur |
dwarf larkspur, rock larkspur |
|
Stems | 40-60(-100) cm; base often reddish, glabrous, ± glaucous. |
20-60 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, 2-8 × 4-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-18, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 2-10 mm (basal), 4-10 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. |
5-15(-30)-flowered, less than 3 times longer than wide; pedicel 1-2.5 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 1-4(-6) mm from flowers, green, linear, 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 deep bluish purple to pink or white, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 11-19 × 4-7 mm, spurs straight, within 30° of horizontal, 13-16 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, blue, except sometimes in white-flowered plants, 6-10 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm; hairs sparse, mostly centered near junction of blade and claw, white. |
Fruits | 15-22 mm, 3-4 times longer than wide, glabrous to glandular-puberulent. |
14-22 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, nearly glabrous. |
Seeds | seed coat cells narrow, short, cell margins straight, surfaces smooth. |
unwinged; surface of each seed coat cell with 1-5 small, swollen, elongate, blunt, hairlike structures, barely visible at 20x, otherwise smooth. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Delphinium xantholeucum |
Delphinium tricorne |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Slopes in open yellow pine forests, grasslands, sage scrub | Slopes in deciduous forests, thicket edges, moist prairies |
Elevation | 150-600 m (500-2000 ft) | 10-1500 m (0-4900 ft) |
Distribution |
WA
|
AL; AR; DC; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MD; MO; MS; NC; NE; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; VA; WV
|
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.) |
Delphinium tricorne is the most commonly encountered larkspur east of the Great Plains. The Cherokee prepared infusions of Delphinium tricorne to ingest for heart problems, although they believed the roots of the plant made cows drunk and killed them (D. E. Moerman 1986). (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 | ||
Name authority | Piper: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 11: 280. (1906) | Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer., 314. (1803) |
Web links |