Delphinium decorum

Fischer & C. A. Meyer

Ind. Sem. Hort. Petrop. 3: 650. 1837.

Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems 5-25 (-42) cm; base reddish or not, at least two proximal internodes long-pubescent. Leaves mostly on proximal 1/3 of stem; basal leaves 1-6 at anthesis; cauline leaves 2-4 at anthesis; petiole 0.5-7 cm. Leaf-blade deltate to pentagonal, 1-2.5 × 1.5-4.5 cm, ± puberulent; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 3-17 mm (basal), 1-8 mm (cauline), widest at middle or in proximal 1/2. Inflorescences 2-10 (-20) -flowered; pedicel 1-4 (-6) cm, puberulent to glabrous; bracteoles (3-) 7-11 (-21) mm from flowers, green to blue, linear-lanceolate, 6-9 (-12) mm, puberulent. Flowers: sepals bluish purple (somewhat faded on drying), puberulent, lateral sepals spreading, (11-) 15-20 (-24) × 6-11 (-15) mm, spur straight, 0-30° above horizontal, 13-20 mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 6-11 mm, cleft 2-4 mm; hairs on entire surface, densest on inner lobes, yellow or white. Fruits 9-20 mm, 3-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent. Seeds wing-margined; seed-coat cells ± aggregate in small wavy ridges, cell surfaces ± roughened, without swollen, blunt hairs.

Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Delphinium decorum and D. menziesii have been confused. Delphinium menziesii usually has darker, colorfast (nonfading) sepals with less lavender, and a more northern distribution than D. decorum. It also has more finely dissected leaves than D. decorum subsp. decorum.

Often confused with Delphinium patens, D. decorum is sometimes circumscribed to include that species. The spreading, fading, blue-purple sepals, pubescent proximal portion of stems, and large lower petal blade of D. decorum, compared to the reflexed, colorfast, bluer sepals, proximally glabrous stems, and smaller lower petal blades of D. patens, adequately distinguish the two taxa.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Leaf blade usually with 3–5 lobes longer than 1/2 leaf radius; 0–100 m. Delphinium decorum subsp. decorum
1 Leaf blade usually with more than 5 lobes longer than 1/2 leaf radius; 700–2300 m. Delphinium decorum subsp. tracyi

No values specified.

... more about "Delphinium decorum"
Michael J. Warnock +
Fischer & C. A. Meyer +
usually larger +
not +  and reddish +
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 +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
green +  and blue +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
linear-lanceolate +
minute +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
globose;cylindric +
roughened +  and smooth +
elongate +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
glabrous +  and puberulent +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
sessile +  and aggregate +
curved-cylindric +
white;yellow +
blunt +  and swollen +
2-10(-20)-flowered +
axillary +  and terminal +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 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 /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
deltate +  and pentagonal +
1.5cm;4.5cm +
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 /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
puberulent +  and glabrous +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
distinct +
conspicuous +
spurred +, funnel--shaped +, cup-shaped +  and plane +
reduced +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
Ind. Sem. Hort. Petrop. +
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 />) +
bluish purple +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
not +  and veined +
straight +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (42 cm420 mm <br />0.42 m <br />) +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
persistent +
Delphinium decorum +
Delphinium subsect. Grumosa +
species +
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 +