Delphinium hesperium subsp. cuyamacae

(Abrams) H. F. Lewis & Epling

Brittonia 8: 11. 1954.

Common names: Cuyamaca larkspur
Conservation concernEndemic
Basionym: Delphinium cuyamacae Abrams Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 538. 1905
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems proximally puberulent with arched hairs. Inflorescences generally more than 25-flowered, dense; pedicel ascending. Flowers: sepals dark blue-purple, spreading to erect, lateral sepals 7-10 mm, less than 4 (-5) mm wide, spurs 8-12 mm; lower petal blades 3-5 mm. Fruits 2.2-2.5 times longer than wide. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering early summer.
Habitat: Grassland, open pine woods
Elevation: 1100-1500 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium hesperium subsp. cuyamacae is local near Cuyamaca Lake. Although it has been reported also from Mt. Palomar, specimens have not been seen.

No other Delphinium with similar features grows in the region where D. hesperium subsp. cuyamacae grows. Superficially, specimens of this taxon resemble those of some D. hansenii subsp. hansenii. Seeds are quite different, as are pubescence patterns and venation on abaxial surface of leaves. Delphinium parryi occurs near D. hesperium subsp. cuyamacae; flowers of D. parryi in that area are much larger and more widely spaced on the inflorescence than in D. hesperium subsp. cuyamacae.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

Michael J. Warnock +
(Abrams) H. F. Lewis & Epling +
usually larger +
puberulent +
expanded +
Delphinium cuyamacae +
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 /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
green +  and blue +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
minute +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
globose;cylindric +
brick--shaped +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Cuyamaca larkspur +
1100-1500 m +
less smooth;naked +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
sessile +  and aggregate +
curved-cylindric +
Grassland, open pine woods +
axillary +  and terminal +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
less ovate +  and elliptic +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
round +  and pentagonal +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
largest +
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 +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
linear-lanceolate +
smaller +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
distinct +
conspicuous +
spurred +, funnel--shaped +, cup-shaped +  and plane +
reduced +
glabrous;puberulent +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
Flowering early summer. +
2-100-flowered +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
3-9(-20)-branched +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
tuberlike +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
succulent +, dry +  and fleshy +
not echinate +
dark-brown +  and black +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
not ringed +
rectangular +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
thread-like +
dark blue-purple +
not persistent +
distinct +
spreading +  and erect +
3 +  and 6 +
not +  and veined +
Conservation concern +  and Endemic +
straight +
ascending +  and upcurved +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
puberulent +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br />) +
persistent +
roughened;smooth +
Delphinium hesperium subsp. cuyamacae +
Delphinium hesperium +
subspecies +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 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 +