Delphinium nuttallianum

Pritzel in Walpers

in Walpers, Repert. Bot. Syst. 1: 744. 1842.

Endemic
Basionym: Delphinium pauciflorum Nuttall in J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 33. 1838,
Synonyms: Delphinium nuttallianum var. fulvum C. L. Hitchcock Delphinium nuttallianum var. levicaule C. L. Hitchcock Delphinium sonnei
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems unbranched, 10-40 (-70) cm; base reddish, pubescence variable. Leaves mostly on proximal 1/4 of stem; basal leaves 2-6 at anthesis; cauline leaves 2-10 at anthesis; petiole 0.4-12 cm. Leaf-blade round, 1-6 × 2-12 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 5-21, 5 or more extending more than 3/5 distance to petiole, width 1-7 (-14) mm (basal), 0.5-6 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. Inflorescences 4-18 (-48) -flowered, at least 2 times as long as wide; pedicel 0.8-6 cm, pubescence variable; bracteoles 3-8 (-18) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear, 3-7 mm, pubescence variable. Flowers: sepals usually bluish purple, rarely white to pink, puberulent, lateral sepals reflexed or spreading, 8-21 × 3-10 mm, spurs decurved to straight, ascending 20-60° above horizontal, 8-23 mm; lower petal blades elevated, exposing stamens, blue to purple, except sometimes in white-flowered plants, 4-11 mm, clefts 2-5 mm; hairs mostly on inner lobes below junction of blade and claw, white, rarely yellow. Fruits 7-22 mm, 3.5-5 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent. Seeds winged or not; seed-coat cell surfaces smooth or roughened, blunt hairs absent. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering spring (-early summer).
Habitat: Open coniferous woods, grassy sage scrub, meadow edges and well drained streamsides (generally not in very wet sites)
Elevation: 300-3500 m

Distribution

V3 667-distribution-map.gif

B.C., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Delphinium nuttallianum represents an extremely difficult complex, with many variations in a number of morphologic traits. The complex has been and continues to be a major source of confusion for identification of Delphinium in North America. Type specimens of D. nuttallianum represent plants growing under dry conditions in open areas. These are typically found at 1200-2000 m in sage scrub or lower montane forest. Delphinium nuttallianum may be confused with D. andersonii, D. antoninum, D. depauperatum, D. gracilentum, and two subspecies of D. patens (subsp. patens and subsp. montanum). Features that may be used to separate D. nuttallianum from the first four, are enumerated under the respective species discussions. From D. patens subsp. patens, D. nuttallianum may be distinguished by its narrower leaf lobes, larger fruits, and more compact inflorescence. The frequent presence of glandular hairs in the inflorescence of D. patens subsp. montanum, contrasted with their absence in D. nuttallianum, will separate these taxa. Dwarfed plants of D. polycladon may be confused with D. nuttallianum. The latter, however may be distinguished by its ringed seeds, and it does not have prominent buds or sigmoid pedicel.

Hybrids have been seen between Delphinium nuttallianum and D. andersonii, D. depauperatum (D. ×burkei Greene), D. distichum (D. ×diversicolor Rydberg), D. nudicaule, and D. polycladon.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"widest" is not a number.

... more about "Delphinium nuttallianum"
Michael J. Warnock +
Pritzel in Walpers +
usually larger +
narrowed +
expanded +
Delphinium pauciflorum +
straight +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
smaller +
subopposite-subalternate +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
green +  and blue +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
minute +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
globose;cylindric +
roughened +  and smooth +
elongate +
roughened +  and smooth +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
B.C. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
300-3500 m +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
glabrous +  and puberulent +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
sessile +  and aggregate +
curved-cylindric +
Open coniferous woods, grassy sage scrub, meadow edges and well drained streamsides (generally not in very wet sites) +
yellow;white +
4-18(-48)-flowered +
axillary +  and terminal +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br />) +
spreading +  and reflexed +
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 /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
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 +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
blue +  and purple +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
distinct +
conspicuous +
spurred +, funnel--shaped +, cup-shaped +  and plane +
reduced +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Flowering spring (-early summer). +
white-flowered +
in Walpers, Repert. Bot. Syst. +
2-100-flowered +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
cormlike +  and fascicled +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (16 cm160 mm <br />0.16 m <br />) +
tuberlike +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
succulent +, fleshy +  and fibrous +
not +  and winged +
dark-brown +  and black +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br />) +
obpyramidal +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
rarely white;pink +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
not +  and veined +
W2 +  and Endemic +
straight +
ascending +  and decurved +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.3 cm23 mm <br />0.023 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. fulvum +, Delphinium nuttallianum var. levicaule +  and Delphinium sonnei +
Delphinium nuttallianum +
Delphinium subsect. Grumosa +
species +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and woody +