Delphinium inopinum

(Jepson) H. F. Lewis & Epling

Brittonia 8: 11. 1954.

Common names: Unexpected larkspur
Endemic
Basionym: Delphinium parishii var. inopinum Jepson Fl. Calif. 1: 526. 1914
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems 70-110 (-150) cm; base reddish or not, glabrous, often glaucous. Leaves mostly on proximal 1/3 of stem, on proximal 1/5 at anthesis; basal leaves 0-4 at anthesis; cauline leaves 6-12 at anthesis; petiole 1-18 cm. Leaf-blade ± pentagonal, 1-5 × 1.5-7 cm, glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-9, width 5-28 mm (basal), 3-18 mm (cauline). Inflorescences 20-35 (-51) -flowered, usually dense; pedicel 0.3-1.5 (-2.5) cm, glabrous; bracteoles 2-4 mm from flowers, green, linear, 1-2 (-4) mm, nearly glabrous. Flowers: sepals white to light blue, glabrous, lateral sepals spreading to forward pointing, 8-12 × 3-5 mm, spurs straight to gently upcurved, ascending 30-60° above horizontal, 9-12 mm; lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 3-5 mm, clefts 1-2 mm; hairs centered, densest near base of cleft, white. Fruits 12-20 mm, 2.6-4 times longer than wide, glabrous. Seeds wing-margined; seed-coat cells surfaces smooth.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Rock outcrops in open coniferous woods
Elevation: 2200-2800 m

Discussion

Delphinium inopinum is apparently endemic to a white metamorphic rock substrate in the Piute Mountains and southern Sierra Nevada. It is not known to hybridize with any other species, although D. patens subsp. montanum has been collected (when both were flowering) within 1 km of D. inopinum and probably occurs much closer. Delphinium inopinum is often confused with D. parishii subsp. pallidum and superficially resembles some white-flowered individuals of D. hansenii, as well as D. gypsophilum and D. hesperium subsp. pallescens. The massive roots with prominent buds readily distinguish D. inopinum from all of these. In addition, the pubescence found on D. hansenii will separate it from the glabrous D. inopinum. Leaves are rarely seen at anthesis near the base of the stem in D. hesperium subsp. pallescens; they are present in D. inopinum.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"entire" is not a number."thin" is not a number.

... more about "Delphinium inopinum"
Michael J. Warnock +
(Jepson) H. F. Lewis & Epling +
usually larger +
not +  and reddish +
glaucous +  and glabrous +
narrowed +
expanded +
Delphinium parishii var. inopinum +
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 /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
globose;cylindric +
elongate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Unexpected larkspur +
2200-2800 m +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
cylindric +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
sessile +  and aggregate +
curved-cylindric +
Rock outcrops in open coniferous woods +
20-35(-51)-flowered +
axillary +  and terminal +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
pointing +  and spreading to forward +
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 /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
cauline +  and basal +
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 +
incised;toothed;incised;toothed;entire +
smaller +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
distinct +
conspicuous +
spurred +, funnel--shaped +, cup-shaped +  and plane +
reduced +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
Flowering summer. +
2-100-flowered +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
2-6-branched +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
tuberlike +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
wing-margined +
dark-brown +  and black +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
not ringed +
rectangular +  and crescent-shaped +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
thread-like +
white;light blue +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
not +  and veined +
straight +
ascending +  and upcurved +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
110 cm1,100 mm <br />1.1 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
1 +  and 4 +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> (110 cm1,100 mm <br />1.1 m <br />) +
persistent +
Delphinium inopinum +
Delphinium subsect. Multiplex +
species +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.8 cm28 mm <br />0.028 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and woody +