Delphinium recurvatum

Greene

Pittonia 1: 285. 1889.

Common names: Valley larkspur recurved larkspur
Conservation concernEndemic
Synonyms: Delphinium hesperium var. recurvatum (Greene) K. C. Davis
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems (18-) 30-50 (-85) cm; base reddish, glabrous. Leaves: basal leaves 0-2 at anthesis; cauline leaves 3-7 at anthesis; petiole 1-8 cm. Leaf-blade round to pentagonal, 1-4 × 1.5-6 cm, nearly glabrous; ultimate lobes 3-11, width 3-15 mm (basal), 1-10 mm (cauline). Inflorescences (8-) 10-25 (-47) -flowered, narrowly pyramidal; pedicel ± spreading, (0.5-) 1.5-4 (-6) cm, nearly glabrous; bracteoles 3-8 (-18) mm from flowers, green, sometimes margins white, lanceolate to linear, 3-5 (-8) mm, nearly glabrous. Flowers: sepals light to sky blue (becoming bluer upon drying), puberulent, lateral sepals reflexed, 11-16 × 5-7 (-9) mm, spurs straight to gently upcurved, ascending 0-30° above horizontal, 10-15 (-18) mm; lower petal blades elevated, ± exposing stamens, 5-8 mm, clefts 0.5-2.5 mm; hairs mostly centered on inner lobes near base of cleft, white. Fruits 8-21 mm, 2.2-3 times longer than wide, puberulent. Seeds: seed-coat cells brick-shaped, cell margins undulate, surfaces roughened. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Grassland, Atriplex scrub
Elevation: 30-600 m

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium recurvatum has a very restricted distribution in the Central (especially San Joaquin) Valley. This species was probably much more common in the past; most of its habitat has been converted into irrigated croplands. Delphinium recurvatum grows in poorly drained, alkaline soils on valley floors.

Hybrids are known between Delphinium recurvatum and D. gypsophilum, D. hesperium, D. parryi, and D. variegatum. Delphinium recurvatum is most likely to be confused with D. gypsophilum or D. hesperium subsp. pallescens. Distinguishing features are found in discussions of those taxa.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Delphinium recurvatum"
Michael J. Warnock +
Greene +
usually larger +
narrowed +
expanded +
straight +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
smaller +
subopposite-subalternate +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
minute +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +
globose;cylindric +
brick--shaped +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
Valley larkspur +  and recurved larkspur +
30-600 m +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
cylindric +  and narrowly pyramidal +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.1 cm21 mm <br />0.021 m <br />) +
sessile +  and aggregate +
curved-cylindric +
Grassland, Atriplex scrub +
(8-)10-25(-47)-flowered +
axillary +  and terminal +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 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 /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
round +  and pentagonal +
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 +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
lanceolate;linear +
smaller +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
distinct +
conspicuous +
spurred +, funnel--shaped +, cup-shaped +  and plane +
reduced +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
Flowering spring. +
2-100-flowered +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
twisted +  and 3-8(-12)-branched +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
tuberlike +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
brick--shaped +
wing-margined +
dark-brown +  and black +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.33 cm3.3 mm <br />0.0033 m <br />) +
not ringed +
rectangular +  and crescent-shaped +
0.11 cm1.1 mm <br />0.0011 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
thread-like +
not persistent +
distinct +
3 +  and 6 +
not +  and veined +
Conservation concern +  and Endemic +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
straight +
ascending +  and upcurved +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br /> (85 cm850 mm <br />0.85 m <br />) +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
persistent +
Delphinium hesperium var. recurvatum +
Delphinium recurvatum +
Delphinium subsect. Subscaposa +
species +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
herbaceous +  and woody +