The Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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Perennial; root generally < 10 cm, ± fibrous or fleshy; rootstock buds in life generally obscure (0 or obscure on herbarium specimens).
Stem: erect, generally 1, generally unbranched; base generally ± as wide as, generally firmly attached to root, generally ± red or purple.
Leaf: simple, basal and cauline, petioled; blades generally palmately lobed, deep lobes generally 3–5, generally < 6 mm wide, generally also lobed; cauline proximal generally dry, generally 0 in flower, distal merging into bracts.
Inflorescence: raceme or ± branched, terminal; flowers generally 10–25; pedicels generally ± spreading.
Flower: bilateral; sepals 5, petal-like, generally spreading, generally ± dark blue, uppermost spurred; petals 4, << sepals, upper 2 with nectar-secreting spurs enclosed in uppermost sepal, lower 2 clawed, with blades ( limbs) generally 4–8 mm, 2-lobed, generally ± perpendicular to claws, generally colored like sepals, generally obviously hairy especially on lobes proximally; pistils 3(5).
Fruit: follicles 3(5), erect, length generally 2.5–4 × width.
Seed: generally winged in youth, collar inflated at widest end or generally not, dark brown to black, generally appearing white; coat cell margins generally straight.
± 300 species: arctic, n temperate, subtropical, tropical mountains worldwide; 3 commonly cultivated as ornamental in North America. (Latin: dolphin, from bud shape) Most species highly TOXIC, attractive to, killing many cattle, fewer horses, sheep. {hort link} Hybrids common, especially in disturbed places. Root length is of coarse parts only.
Unabridged references: [Lewis & Epling 1954 Brittonia 8:1–22]

Key to Delphinium

1. Plant with all the following: sepals pink to deep rose-pink; fruit erect; pedicels ± ascending, hairs glandular, yellow; angle between claw and blade on lower petals > 130°; s SN, w edge DMoj ..... D. purpusii

1' Plant with at least 1 exception to character states at 1.

2. Lf blade base tapered, lobes few, < 50% to petiole; serpentine streambanks, chaparral, grassland ..... D. uliginosum

2' Lf blade base cordate, truncate, or rounded, lobes (3)5–many, > 50% to petiole; generally not on serpentine

3. Sepals ± red or yellow; blade of lower petals angled 140–180° to claw, hairs ± 0 to naked eye

4. Seed without inflated collar; fruit ± straight; plants of ± dry sites; SCoR, SW, w edge DSon ..... D. cardinale

4' Seed with inflated collar at widest end: fruit curved; plants of moist sites; SCoRO & n

5. Sepals bright yellow ..... D. luteum

5' Sepals scarlet to orange-red (dull yellow) ..... D. nudicaule

3' Sepals generally variously blue, occasionally white, green-white, lavender, maroon, purple, or pink but not red or yellow; blade of lower petals angled 60–130° to claw, hairs apparent to naked eye

6. Plant with all the following: inflorescence ± 1-sided; flower generally on and after 15 June; 1800–2600 m; stem generally 7–40(60) cm; pedicels ascending; seed winged, without inflated collar at widest end; root < 5 cm; CaRH, n&c SNH, Wrn ..... D. depauperatum

6' Plant with 2 or more exceptions to character states at 6.

7. Seed with inflated collar at widest end, unwinged; fruit ± curved; inflorescence in mid-flower with generally < 6 flowers on main axis or oldest open-flowered pedicels generally > 25 mm and > 2 × youngest

8. Most leaves on distal 2/3 of stem; stem (40)50–120(180) cm; flowers on main inflorescence axis generally > 15

9. Lf lobe tips crenate; n CCo, n SnFrB (Marin Co.) ..... D. bakeri

9' Lf lobe tips sharply, irregularly cut; NCo, NCoRO (n of Sonoma Co.) ..... D. trolliifolium

8' Most leaves on proximal 2/3 of stem; stem < 50(90) cm; flowers on main inflorescence axis generally < 20

10. Sepals dark blue-purple (generally faded, mottled on herbarium specimens), puberulent abaxially, generally not reflexed; proximal stem hairy; lower petal blades 6–11 mm ..... D. decorum

11. Lf generally with 5 lobes > 50% to petiole; < 200 m; open coastal grassland, chaparral ..... subsp. decorum

11' Lf generally with > 5 lobes > 50% to petiole; 700–2300 m; meadows in montane forest ..... subsp. tracyi

10' Sepals generally bright blue to white or pink (generally neither faded nor mottled on herbarium specimens), generally glabrous, generally reflexed; proximal stem glabrous to puberulent; lower petal blades 3–11 mm (if sepals ± purple, puberulent abaxially, not reflexed, then proximal stem ± glabrous or lower petal blade < 6 mm)

12. Lf ± fleshy; plant restricted to moist talus slopes ..... D. antoninum

12' Lf not fleshy; plant not restricted to moist talus slopes

13. Lf with >= 6 lobes > 50% to petiole, < 7 mm wide; pedicels glabrous or puberulent; SNH and n ..... D. nuttallianum

13' Lf with <= 5 lobes > 50% to petiole, generally > 7 mm wide; pedicels glabrous to glandular or glandular-puberulent (if > 5 lobes > 50% to petiole, then pedicels puberulent); SN, SCoRI and s

14. Terminal leaf lobe widest above middle; pedicel at 70–90° angle to axis; leaf lobes generally 5 ..... D. gracilentum

14' Terminal leaf lobe widest near middle; pedicel at generally < 70° angle to axis; leaf lobes 3–10 ..... D. patens

15. Lobes of proximal leaves generally > 1.5 cm wide; basal, proximal cauline leaves generally cut < 80% to petiole — SCoRO, SW (except ChI) ..... subsp. hepaticoideum

15' Lobes of proximal leaves generally < 1.5 cm wide; basal (if present), proximal cauline leaves generally cut > 80% to petiole

16. Pedicels puberulent ..... subsp. montanum

16' Pedicels generally glabrous ..... subsp. patens

7' Seed generally without inflated collar (except Delphinium andersonii), winged or not; fruit ± straight; inflorescence in mid-flower with generally > 6 flowers on main axis or oldest open-flowered pedicel generally < 25 mm or < 2 × youngest

17. Sts generally > 1 m, generally >= 2; enlarged rootstock buds in life generally ± white, brown on herbarium specimens

18. Fl generally June or earlier; sepals ± lavender or ± green-white, puberulent; < 1100 m ..... D. californicum

19. Sepals ± lavender; main inflorescence axis puberulent; upper petals ± hairy ..... subsp. californicum

19' Sepals ± green-white; main inflorescence axis ± glabrous; upper petals ± glabrous ..... subsp. interius

18' Fl generally July or later; sepals generally ± blue, ± canescent; <= 3600 m (if sepals ± lavender or ± green- white, then > 1100 m)

20. Lvs present on proximal 1/5 of stem in flower

21. Fl spur 9–12 mm; sepals white to light blue ..... D. inopinum

21' Fl spur 11–22 mm; sepals dark blue ..... D. polycladon

20' Lvs generally 0 on proximal 1/5 of stem in flower

22. Sepals ± purple-blue, abaxial midline not lighter; proximal stem glaucous; KR, SNH, SnGb, SnBr, n SNE ..... D. glaucum

22' Sepals ± bright blue, abaxial midline lighter due to hairs; proximal stem puberulent; Wrn ..... D. stachydeum

17' St generally < 1 m, generally 1; enlarged rootstock buds generally 0

23. Proximal petiole hairs > 0.5 mm, straight, spreading, white, and some not

24. Seeds fine-prickly, fuzzy to naked eye; lateral sepals 7–13 mm; flowers generally > 12 on main axis ..... D. hansenii

25. Sepals violet-purple to maroon — SNF, SnJV ..... subsp. ewanianum

25' Sepals dark blue-purple to white or pink

26. Basal leaves generally 0 in flower; cauline leaves >= 3; NCoRI, CaRF, SNF, c&s SNH, ScV ..... subsp. hansenii

26' Basal leaves present but generally dry in flower (so 0 on herbarium specimens); cauline leaves generally <= 2; s SN, Teh, w edge DMoj ..... subsp. kernense

24' Seeds not prickly, not fuzzy to naked eye; lateral sepals 10–25 mm; flowers generally < 12 on main axis

27. Lower petal blade margin hairs 0; sepal spur tip generally down-curved > 3 mm; stem 25–100 cm — CCo (c Monterey Co.) ..... D. hutchinsoniae

27' Lower petal blade margin hairs present; sepal spur straight or tip down-curved < 3 mm; stem generally < 50 cm ..... D. variegatum

28. Plant of mainland — sepals generally dark royal blue (white or lavender) ..... subsp. variegatum

28' Plant of ChI

29. Sepals white to light blue; flower Jan–Apr; plants on 0–15° slopes ..... subsp. kinkiense

29' Sepals bright blue; flower Feb–May; plants on 15–35° slopes ..... subsp. thornei

23' Proximal petiole hairs 0–0.5 mm, or curved, or both (if some > 0.5 mm, straight, then plant of NW or SnFrB, seeds winged)

30. Blades of lower petals hairier adaxially than abaxially; proximal stem ± striate — lateral sepals 7–16 mm; seeds winged; sepals not reflexed; pedicels ascending at < 45° angle; NW, CaRF, ScV, SnFrB, SCoRI, PR ..... D. hesperium

31. Lateral sepals <= 4 mm wide; c PR ..... subsp. cuyamacae

31' Lateral sepals > 4 mm wide; n of TR

32. Sepals dark blue-purple ..... subsp. hesperium

32' Sepals white to ± pink or light blue ..... subsp. pallescens

30' Blades of lower petals equally hairy adaxially, abaxially; proximal stem not striate

33. Seed coat cell margins wavy, ± visible at 10× when held to light; fruit length generally <= 3 × width; sepals light blue to pink or white

34. Plant of grassland, open woodland; sepals white to ± pink or light blue, rarely reflexed; stem 30–150 cm ..... D. gypsophilum

34' Plant of generally deserts, scrub, juniper woodland (grassland); sepals white to pink or light, ± sky, or dark blue, especially lateral generally reflexed (spreading to erect in Delphinium parishii subsp. pallidum, spreading in Delphinium parishii subsp. subglobosum); stem < 78(95) cm

35. Plant of fine, alkaline soil; sepals generally light blue; lower petals white — GV, s SCoRI (Caliente Range), w DMoj ..... D. recurvatum

35' Plant of generally coarse, not very alkaline soil; sepals white or pink to ± sky or dark blue; lower petals same color as sepals ..... D. parishii

36. Sepals ± sky blue, lateral reflexed — s SNH, Teh, TR, SNE, D ..... subsp. parishii

36' Sepals white or pink or blue to dark blue, not sky blue, lateral not reflexed

37. Generally flower after 20 May; sepals white to pink or blue; sw SnJV, SCoRI, WTR ..... subsp. pallidum

37' Generally flower before 20 May; sepals dark blue; w DSon ..... subsp. subglobosum

33' Seed coat cell margins straight, ± visible at 10× when held to light; fruit length generally > 3× width; sepals blue to dark blue

38. Green leaves generally present on proximal 1/5 of stem in flower; proximal stem, petioles ± glabrous

39. In flower, basal leaves 4–10, cauline 1–4, lobes 3–5(9), shorter lobes 0.5–6 cm, lobe tips rounded — DSon ..... D. scaposum

39' In flower, basal leaves 0–3, cauline 3–7, lobes 3–30, longer lobes 2–6 cm, lobe tips tapered to point

40. Lobes of proximal leaves > 4 mm wide; lateral sepals reflexed; SCoRO, WTR ..... D. umbraculorum

40' Lobes of proximal leaves < 4 mm wide; lateral sepals rarely reflexed; CaRH, ne SNH, GB ..... D. andersonii

38' Green leaves generally 0 on proximal 1/5 of stem in flower; proximal stem, petioles ± puberulent — Teh, SnJV, CW, SW ..... D. parryi

41. Basal leaves generally 0 in flower

42. Lateral sepals generally 16–25 mm ..... subsp. blochmaniae

42' Lateral sepals 9–15 mm ..... subsp. parryi

41' Basal leaves generally present in flower

43. Plant from > 700 m ..... subsp. purpureum

43' Plant from < 700 m

44. Sepals generally reflexed ..... subsp. eastwoodiae

44' Sepals generally spreading ..... subsp. maritimum

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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