Delphinium hesperium subsp. pallescens

(Ewan) H. F. Lewis & Epling

Brittonia 8: 10. 1954.

Common names: Pale-flowered western larkspur
Endemic
Basionym: Delphinium hesperium A. Gray forma pallescens Ewan Univ. Colorado Stud., Ser. D, Phys. Sci. 2: 179. 1945
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems usually glabrous. Inflorescences usually fewer than 25-flowered, open; pedicel ± spreading. Flowers: sepals white to pinkish, rarely light blue, spreading, lateral sepals 10-15 mm, more than 4 mm wide, spurs 10-17 mm; lower petal blades 4-7 mm. Fruits 3-3.5 times longer than wide. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Open oak woods and grassland
Elevation: 20-1000 m

Discussion

Delphinium hesperium subsp. pallescens grows only east of the Coast Range divide. It hybridizes with D. gypsophilum, D. parryi, D. recurvatum, D. uliginosum, and D. variegatum. Light blue sepals probably result from introgression involving D. variegatum, D. parryi, or D. hesperium subsp. hesperium. Intermediates are occasionally found between D. hesperium subsp. pallescens and subsp. hesperium (particularly in Napa County), but the two taxa remain, for the most part, geographically isolated.

Delphinium hesperium subsp. pallescens has sometimes been confused with D. gypsophilum or with white-flowered plants of D. hansenii; see discussion under those species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number.

Michael J. Warnock +
(Ewan) H. F. Lewis & Epling +
usually larger +
puberulent +
expanded +
Delphinium hesperium +
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 />) +
Pale-flowered western larkspur +
20-1000 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 +
Open oak woods and grassland +
open +  and 0-25-flowered +
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 +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 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 />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 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 spring. +
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 +
light blue;white;pinkish +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
not +  and veined +
straight +
ascending +  and upcurved +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br />) +
persistent +
roughened;smooth +
Delphinium hesperium subsp. pallescens +
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 +