Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium hutchinsoniae

Delphinium scopulorum

Hutchinson's delphinium, Hutchinson's larkspur, Monterey larkspur

Rocky Mountain larkspur
Stems

(25-)50-80(-100) cm;

base reddish, not longitudinally ridged, variably puberulent.

50-120 cm;

base often reddish, puberulent, midstems glabrous to subglabrous.
Leaves

blade round to pentagonal, 1-6 × 1.5-10 cm, puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-17, width 4-16(-25) mm (basal), 1-8(-19) mm (cauline).

blade round to pentagonal, 1.5-10 × 2-16 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-19, width 5-30 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline).
Inflorescences

(2-)7-20(-31)-flowered, open;

pedicel 1-4(-6) cm, puberulent;

bracteoles (2-)8-12 mm from flowers, green, linear, 3-6(-9) mm, puberulent.

10-30-flowered, open, cylindric;

pedicel ascending to spreading, 1-3(-4.5) cm, puberulent;

bracteoles 2-7 mm from flowers, green, linear, 2-4 mm, puberulent.
Flowers

sepals dark bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (12-)14-19(-24) × 7-12(-15) mm, spurs ascending, decurved apically, 11-19 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, mostly covering stamens, 5-10 mm, cleft 2-3 mm;

hairs sparse, mostly on inner lobes, absent on margins, white.

sepals bright dark blue, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals forward pointing, 12-15 × 4-6 mm, spurs gently decurved, slightly ascending, 15-20 mm;

lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-8 mm, clefts 1-3 mm;

hairs sparse, centered, mostly below junction of blade and claw, white.
Fruits

9-21 mm, 2.5-4.2 times longer than wide, sparsely puberulent.

16-20 mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, nearly glabrous.
Seeds

not echinate, ± smooth to naked eye;

seed coat cells with margins ± undulate, surfaces smooth.

wing-margined;

seed coat cells with margins straight, cell surfaces ± roughened.
2n

= 16.

Delphinium hutchinsoniae

Delphinium scopulorum
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering late summer–early autumn.
Habitat Coastal chaparral, clearings in coniferous woods Riparian forests and open woodlands
Elevation 0-400 m (0-1300 ft) 1700-2600 m (5600-8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium hutchinsoniae is known from only a few populations near Monterey and south to the Big Sur region. Hybrids have been produced between D. hutchinsoniae and D. cardinale grown in a common garden. Hybrids also occur with D. parryi subsp. maritimum.

Delphinium hutchinsoniae is similar, and probably closely related, to D. variegatum. The two may be distinguished by the decurved spur of D. hutchinsoniae; the spur of D. variegatum is normally straight (or decurved nearer apex). Delphinium hutchinsoniae lacks marginal hairs on lower petals; such hairs are present in D. variegatum. The two species are also geographically separated.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Hybrids are known with Delphinium andesicola.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Echinata Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Wislizenana
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. 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. xantholeucum
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. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. variegatum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
Synonyms D. macrophyllum
Name authority Ewan: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 78: 379. (1951) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 9. (1853)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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