[Larkspurs: The Genus Delphinium East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur

Delphinium depauperatum

Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense

Close-up sideview of a flower of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of dwarf larkspur. Note the pedicel which is shorter than the spur and held upright, close to the stem. Note also the patch of white hairs on the lower (blue) petals, which are above the stamens. Photographed about along Hat Pt. Road one mile south of Memaloose in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area...........July 11, 2007.

Basal leaf of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)The photo at right represents a basal leaf of dwarf larkspur. Photographed along the road to Blue Sky, Hart Mt. National Antelope Refuge..........June 27. 2003.
Characteristics:

Dwarf larkspur is also known as barren-ground larkspur. It is an attractive perennial wildflower with usually one erect, simple to slightly branched stem from 30-60 cm high. The lower stems range from glabrous to hairy but are nearly always covered with glandular hairs within the inflorescence. The leaves are mostly basal or on the lower stems and have long petioles as shown in the diagram at right. The blades range from 3-6 cm wide and are nearly parted into 3 broad lobes, which are further shallowly 3-4 lobed. Several small, linear, bract-like leaves are found higher on the stems.

The inflorescence is loosely to closely flowered with 5-20 flowers. The pedicels are usually shorter than the spurs (except perhaps those of the lowest flowers) and are typically nearly erect and close to the stem or ascending. The blue sepals are oblong-ovate in shape with rounded to acute tips. They are cuped forward or may be flared. Individual sepals range from 9-12 mm long while the spur is 13-15 mm long. Both the spur and calyx are covered with gland-tipped hairs. The smaller petals are blue to nerly white, the lower pair with a central tuft of whitish hairs and margins which are finely and irregularly toothed (See photos.) The fruits are 11-17 mm long and typically covered with glandular hairs (See photo below.).


Habitat:

Dwarf larkspur is found in moist meadows or riparian areas which dry by mid-summer. It is found with sagebrush in the lowlands and in subalpine and alpine meadows in the mountains.


Range:

Dwarf larkspur is found from southeastern Washington (Asotin County) south to Crook County and eastern Lake County in north-central and south-central Oregon respectively. It is found further south to northeastern California and eastward to central nevada and western Montana.


Inflorescence of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

The photo above shows a closeup of the raceme of dwarf larkspur. Photographed about along Hat Pt. Road one mile south of Memaloose in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area...........July 11, 2007.

Basal and lower stem leaves of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

The photo above shows a closeup of the basal leaves and lower stem leaves of dwarf larkspur. Photographed about along Hat Pt. Road one mile south of Memaloose in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area...........July 11, 2007.

Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Inflorescence of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

These 3 photos seen directly above show dwarf larkspur as seen along Forest Road #4650 about one mile east of Haystack Rock at the eastern side of Chief Joseph Canyon in the northern Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.........June 26, 2008.

Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Close-up frontal view of a flower of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Close-up of a flower of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

Close-up of a spur and backside of the sepals of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Leaf of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

The photo above shows close-ups of dwarf larkspur as seen along the Umatilla Rim Trail at the northeastern edge of the North Fork Umatilla Wilderness.........June 24, 2007.

Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

Dwarf larkspur as seen in bloom in vernally moist swales along FS Road #3142 in southern Thompson Valley, Fremont National Forest........May 19, 2016.

Close-up of the inflorescence of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

A close-up of the inflorescence (left) of dwarf larkspur. Photographed in a wet meadow at the west side of the wildlife viewing area in Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest.........June 26, 2011. The photo at right shows dwarf larkspur blooming in a vernally moist meadow near the junction of Forest Roads 42 and 4240, Ochoco National Forest........July 13, 2017.

Fruits of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)
The photo above shows the glandular-hairy follicles of dwarf larkspur. Photographed along the road to Blue Sky, Hart Mt. National Antelope Refuge..........June 27. 2003.

Flowers of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Flowers of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

Dwarf larkspur as seen in vernally moist meadows near the junction of FS Roads 42 and 4240, Ochoco National Forest.........June 21, 2017.

Close-up sideview of a flower of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower of dwarf larkspur. Note the pedicel which is shorter than the spur and held upright, close to the stem. Note also the patch of white hairs on the lower (blue) petals, which are above the stamens. Photographed in the Malheur NF in a meadow about 0.3 mile east of US 395 along FS Rd 3925...........June 25, 2003.

Close-up sideview of a flower of Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense)

A side-view of the flower of dwarf larkspur. The spur and sepals are covered with minute, glandular hairs.

Paul Slichter