Delphinium bicolor subsp. bicolor

EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Delphinium nuttallianum var. pilosum C. L. Hitchcock
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Flowers: sepals dark blue to purple, lateral sepals 16-21 × 6-11 mm, spurs 13-18 mm; lower petal blades with cleft less than 2 mm; hairs usually white.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Dry meadow edges, sage scrub, open woodlands and edges, not on soils derived from limestone
Elevation: 600-3100 m

Distribution

V3 15-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Sask., Idaho, Mont., Nebr., N.Dak., S.Dak., Wyo.

Discussion

Rydberg's Delphinium bicolor var. montanense tends to have more pubescence and larger flowers but is otherwise typical and apparently fully intergrades with D. bicolor subsp. bicolor. Often referred to as one of the low larkspurs in poisonous-plant literature, the plant is abundant on some ranges and is the cause of some livestock poisonings.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
Michael J. Warnock +
Nuttall +
usually larger +
glabrous +  and puberulent +
narrowed +
expanded +
Delphinium sect. Bicoloria +
straight +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
smaller +
subopposite-subalternate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
lanceolate +
minute +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
globose;cylindric +
elongate +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Sask. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.Dak. +, S.Dak. +  and Wyo. +
600-3100 m +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
sessile +  and aggregate +
curved-cylindric +
Dry meadow edges, sage scrub, open woodlands and edges, not on soils derived from limestone +
3-12(-22)-flowered +
axillary +  and terminal +
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br />) +
less ovate +  and elliptic +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and puberulent +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
cauline +  and basal +
reduced +
lacerate;crenate +
clawed +, 2-lobed +, ovate +  and plane +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
palmate +  and pinnate +
incised;toothed;incised;toothed;entire +
smaller +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
distinct +
conspicuous +
spurred +, funnel--shaped +, cup-shaped +  and plane +
reduced +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
Flowering late spring–early summer. +
J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia +
2-100-flowered +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
braided +  and 2-9-branched +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
tuberlike +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
diffuse-fibrous +
dark-brown +  and black +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.29 cm2.9 mm <br />0.0029 m <br />) +
obpyramidal +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.19 cm1.9 mm <br />0.0019 m <br />) +
dark blue;purple +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
not +  and veined +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
straight +
ascending +  and decurved +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
persistent +
Delphinium nuttallianum var. pilosum +
Delphinium bicolor subsp. bicolor +
Delphinium bicolor +
subspecies +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and woody +