Delphinium nuttallii

A. Gray

Bot. Gaz. 12: 54. 1887.

Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems 20-60 (-90) cm; base usually reddish, pubescent. Leaves mostly on proximal 1/2 of stem; basal leaves 0-2 at anthesis; cauline leaves 3-10 at anthesis; petiole 0.3-19 cm. Leaf-blade round to reniform, 2-8 × 3-14 cm, pubescent; ultimate lobes 5-18, width 4-7 mm (basal), 1-5 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. Inflorescences 5-25 (-40) -flowered, at least 2 times longer than wide; pedicel 1.5-4 (-9) cm, puberulent; bracteoles 2-3 mm from flowers, green, linear, 4-6 mm, puberulent. Flowers: sepals bluish purple to yellowish, (± drab), often partly fading upon drying, puberulent, lateral sepals ± spreading, 8-11 × 3-6 mm, spurs straight, slightly ascending, 9-13 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 4-6 mm, clefts 0.5-2 mm; hairs well dispersed, mostly near margins and base of cleft, white to yellow or blue. Fruits 10-14 (-18) mm, 3.5-4 times longer than wide, pubescent. Seeds wing-margined; seed-coat cell surfaces smooth.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Delphinium nuttallii has often been confused with D. menziesii; it may be distinguished by consistently smaller flowers and usually more flowers per plant than in the latter. Interestingly, each species produces both blue-purple and yellowish flower colors, in separate populations.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Sepals blue or bluish purple; spur more than 10 mm. Delphinium nuttallii subsp. nuttallii
1 Sepals white or light yellow; spur less than 10 mm. Delphinium nuttallii subsp. ochroleucum

"/" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.No values specified.

... more about "Delphinium nuttallii"
Michael J. Warnock +
A. Gray +
usually larger +
white +  and yellow or blue +
narrowed +
expanded +
Delphinium sect. Grumosa +
straight +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
smaller +
subopposite-subalternate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 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 +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Oreg. +  and Wash. +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
sessile +  and aggregate +
curved-cylindric +
dispersed +
5-25(-40)-flowered +
axillary +  and terminal +
less ovate +  and elliptic +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
round +  and reniform +
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 +
white +  and yellow or blue +
incised;toothed;incised;toothed;entire +
smaller +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
distinct +
conspicuous +
spurred +, funnel--shaped +, cup-shaped +  and plane +
reduced +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (19 cm190 mm <br />0.19 m <br />) +
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 +
wing-margined +
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 />) +
fading;bluish purple;yellowish +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
not +  and veined +
straight +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (90 cm900 mm <br />0.9 m <br />) +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
persistent +
Delphinium nuttallii +
Delphinium subsect. Grumosa +
species +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and woody +