FNA: Delphinium pavonaceum vs. Delphinium depauperatum

	Delphinium pavonaceum	Delphinium depauperatum
	peacock larkspur	Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain larkspur, dwarf, dwarf larkspur, few flower larkspur, mountain larkspur, or mountain larkspur, slim larkspur
Stems		unbranched, 10-40(-70) cm; base usually not reddish, nearly glabrous.
Leaves		blade ± round, 1-5 × 1.5-9 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-10, width 2-12 mm (basal), 0.5-3 mm (cauline); margins of basal leaf, measured less than 1 cm from blade base, demarcating considerably more than 90° of arc when leaf laid flat; cauline leaf blades much shorter than internodes.
Inflorescences		3-15(-25)-flowered, open, ± secund; pedicel 0.5-3(-7) cm, ± glandular-puberulent; bracteoles 2-6(-12) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear or lanceolate, 4-5(-8) mm, ± glandular-puberulent.
Flowers		sepals dark blue to bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 10-14 × 4-7 mm, spurs straight, horizontal or nearly so, 12-16 mm; lower petal blades somewhat elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-7 mm, clefts 2-4 mm; hairs mostly near base of cleft, white or light yellow.
Fruits		9-16 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, ± puberulent.
Seeds		seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.
2n		= 16.

	Delphinium pavonaceum	Delphinium depauperatum
Phenology		Flowering summer.
Habitat		Moist meadows
Elevation		1800-2600 m (5900-8500 ft)
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map]	CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion		Delphinium depauperatum and D. nuttallianum are often found in the same meadows, with D. depauperatum occupying wetter sites, often very near streams, while D. nuttallianum is found in drier, better-drained sites. In typical years, the substrate will be dry around D. nuttallianum plants, while the substrate is damp near D. depauperatum plants as they flower. In addition, within a meadow, D. depauperatum flowers later than D. nuttallianum, so there is normally little overlap in flowering phenology of the two taxa. Although hybridization between D. depauperatum and D. nuttallianum is uncommon, hybrids do occur; they have been named D. ×burkei Greene. Burke's specimens at Kew represent a good series of permutations of this cross and successive backcrosses. Specimens labeled Delphinium depauperatum subsp. harneyense represent the phase with more abundant yellow-glandular trichomes in the inflorescence and slightly larger flowers. Considerable variation in these features may be found within populations. Presence of yellow-glandular hairs is generally greater in more northern populations. Type specimens of Delphinium diversifolium are intermediate in amount of glandular pubescence. Often confused with Delphinium nuttallianum, D. depauperatum may be distinguished by its cylindric inflorescences, less dissected leaves, winged seeds, and erect fruits. These character states contrast with the pyramidal inflorescences, more dissected leaves, ringed seeds, and spreading fruits of D. nuttallianum. Dwarfed phases of Delphinium polycladon may be confused with D. depauperatum; they can be distinguished on the basis of bluish purple flowers, sigmoid pedicel, and prominent buds in the former, and dark blue flowers, straight pedicels, and absence of prominent buds in the latter. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source		FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa		Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata
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. 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. 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. xantholeucum
Synonyms		D. cyanoreios, D. diversifolium, D. diversifolium subsp. harneyense
Name authority		Nuttall: in J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 33. (1838)
Web links	Local floras: OR Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Delphinium pavonaceum

Delphinium depauperatum

peacock larkspur

Blue Mountain, Blue Mountain larkspur, dwarf, dwarf larkspur, few flower larkspur, mountain larkspur, or mountain larkspur, slim larkspur

Stems

unbranched, 10-40(-70) cm;

base usually not reddish, nearly glabrous.

Leaves

blade ± round, 1-5 × 1.5-9 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-10, width 2-12 mm (basal), 0.5-3 mm (cauline);

margins of basal leaf, measured less than 1 cm from blade base, demarcating considerably more than 90° of arc when leaf laid flat;

cauline leaf blades much shorter than internodes.

Inflorescences

3-15(-25)-flowered, open, ± secund;

pedicel 0.5-3(-7) cm, ± glandular-puberulent;

bracteoles 2-6(-12) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear or lanceolate, 4-5(-8) mm, ± glandular-puberulent.

Flowers

sepals dark blue to bluish purple, puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, 10-14 × 4-7 mm, spurs straight, horizontal or nearly so, 12-16 mm;

lower petal blades somewhat elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-7 mm, clefts 2-4 mm;

hairs mostly near base of cleft, white or light yellow.

Fruits

9-16 mm, 3.5-4.5 times longer than wide, ± puberulent.

Seeds

seed coat cells with surfaces roughened.

= 16.

Delphinium pavonaceum

Delphinium depauperatum

Phenology

Flowering summer.

Habitat

Moist meadows

Elevation

1800-2600 m (5900-8500 ft)

Distribution

[WildflowerSearch map]

CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Delphinium depauperatum and D. nuttallianum are often found in the same meadows, with D. depauperatum occupying wetter sites, often very near streams, while D. nuttallianum is found in drier, better-drained sites. In typical years, the substrate will be dry around D. nuttallianum plants, while the substrate is damp near D. depauperatum plants as they flower. In addition, within a meadow, D. depauperatum flowers later than D. nuttallianum, so there is normally little overlap in flowering phenology of the two taxa. Although hybridization between D. depauperatum and D. nuttallianum is uncommon, hybrids do occur; they have been named D. ×burkei Greene. Burke's specimens at Kew represent a good series of permutations of this cross and successive backcrosses.

Specimens labeled Delphinium depauperatum subsp. harneyense represent the phase with more abundant yellow-glandular trichomes in the inflorescence and slightly larger flowers. Considerable variation in these features may be found within populations. Presence of yellow-glandular hairs is generally greater in more northern populations. Type specimens of Delphinium diversifolium are intermediate in amount of glandular pubescence.

Often confused with Delphinium nuttallianum, D. depauperatum may be distinguished by its cylindric inflorescences, less dissected leaves, winged seeds, and erect fruits. These character states contrast with the pyramidal inflorescences, more dissected leaves, ringed seeds, and spreading fruits of D. nuttallianum.

Dwarfed phases of Delphinium polycladon may be confused with D. depauperatum; they can be distinguished on the basis of bluish purple flowers, sigmoid pedicel, and prominent buds in the former, and dark blue flowers, straight pedicels, and absence of prominent buds in the latter.

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

Source

FNA vol. 3.

Parent taxa

Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Depauperata

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. 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. 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. xantholeucum

Synonyms

D. cyanoreios, D. diversifolium, D. diversifolium subsp. harneyense

Name authority

Nuttall: in J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 33. (1838)

Web links

Local floras: CA, OR, WA
Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog.
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database
LBJ Wildflower Center
SEINet
Plants of the World Online
Encyclopedia of Life
Wikipedia
Google Image Search

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).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America, OregonFlora, UW Burke Herbarium

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Delphinium pavonaceum

Delphinium depauperatum

Delphinium pavonaceum

Delphinium depauperatum