The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links
Photo is of parent taxon

intermediate larkspur, oceanblue larkspur

delphinium, larkspur

Habit Herbs, perennial, from fasciculate roots or rhizomes.
Stems

(19-)30-50(-78) cm.

Leaves

basal and cauline; ultimate lobes 7-12, lobes of basal leaves nearly as narrow as lobes of cauline.

blade deeply palmately divided, round to pentagonal or reniform, margins entire or lobes apically crenate or lacerate, lobes of basal blades wider and fewer than those of cauline blades.

Inflorescences

pedicel 3-20 mm, 8-17 mm apart.

terminal, 2-100(-more)-flowered racemes (occasionally branched, thus technically panicles), 5-40 cm or more;

bracts subtending inflorescence branches;

pedicels present or absent;

bracteoles (on pedicels) subopposite-subalternate, not forming involucre.

Flowers

sepals dark blue, usually spreading, lateral sepals 9-13 × 5-7 mm, spurs 12-14 mm;

lower petal blades 4-6 mm.

bisexual, bilaterally symmetric;

sepals not persistent in fruit, 5;

upper sepal 1, spurred, 8-24 mm;

lateral sepals 2, ± ovate to elliptic, 8-18 mm;

lower sepals 2, similar to lateral sepals;

upper petals 2, spurred, enclosed in upper sepal, nectary inside tip of spur;

lower petals 2, plane, ± ovate, ± 2-lobed, clawed, 2-12 mm, nectary absent;

stamens 25-40;

filaments with base expanded;

staminodes absent between stamens and pistils;

pistils 3(-5), simple;

ovules 8-20 per pistil;

style present.

Fruits

8-11 mm.

follicles, aggregate, sessile, ± curved-cylindric, sides prominently veined or not;

beak terminal, straight, 2-4 mm.

Seeds

dark brown to black (often appearing white because of air in seed coat cells), rectangular to pyramidal, often ± rough surfaced.

x

= 8.

Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum

Delphinium

Phenology Flowering late winter-mid spring.
Habitat Dry chaparral and desert scrub
Elevation 600-1300 m (2000-4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
n temperate and arctic subtropical and; in Eastern Hemisphere; tropical mountains (s of equator in Africa)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum occurs only on the eastern side of peninsular ranges.

Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum hybridizes with D. parryi subsp. parryi. Likely to be confused only with D. parryi, D. parishii subsp. subglobosum may be differentiated from that species by its lack of arched hairs on stems.

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

Species ca. 300 (61 in the flora).

Three Eurasian species of Delphinium–D. elatum Linnaeus, D. grandiflorum Linnaeus, and D. tatsienense Franchet–have been commonly cultivated in North America. Of the nonnative taxa, only D. elatum is sporadically naturalized, as far as is known. Isolating mechanisms in Delphinium appear to be primarily ecological, geographic, and/or temporal. Where these distinctions are disrupted, introgression often exists. Hybridization occurs regularly between certain taxa, particularly in areas of disturbance (e.g., roadcuts, drainage ditches, clearcuts). The more common and easily recognized hybrids are included in the key.

Many names have been misapplied in Delphinium. The few misapplied names mentioned in discussions below refer to relatively widespread problems.

Unless otherwise noted, the key and descriptions refer to fresh material. Some features may be significantly altered by pressing; they can, however, usually be determined with a certain amount of effort and experience.

In the descriptions, "base of cleft" refers to the point where the cleft or sinus reaches most deeply into the petal blade.

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

Key
1. Lower petal blades less than 1/5 length of lateral sepals; sepals never red or yellow.
Sect. Elatopsis
1. Lower petal blades more than 1/5 length of lateral sepals; sepals blue, purple, white, red, or yellow.
Sect. Diedropetala
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3. Author: Michael J. Warnock.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Subscaposa > Delphinium parishii Ranunculaceae
Sibling taxa
D. parishii subsp. pallidum, D. parishii subsp. parishii
Subordinate taxa
Sect. Diedropetala, Sect. Elatopsis
Synonyms D. subglobosum
Name authority (Wiggins) H. F. Lewis & Epling: Brittonia 8: 15. (1954) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 530. 175: Gen. Pl. ed 5, 236. (1754)
Web links