The Genus Delphinium
Unidentified Larkspurs from Fields Peak and Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest:
Desert Larkspur: Delphinium andersonii - Plants less than 1 meter high. Racemes narrow throughout with pedicels no longer than the spurs. Stems glabrous below the inflorescence. Plants of the sagebrush desert and dry, open forests of central and southeastern Oregon.
Little Larkspur, Montana Larkspur: Delphinium bicolor - Plant single-stemmed and less than 40 cm high. Lower petals deep blue and shallowly notched. Sepals uneual in size with the lowest pair the longest. Plants of grasslands, ponderosa pine forests and subalpine screes from northeastern Washington, north-central Idaho and east to Montana, Wyoming and south-central Canada.
Meadow Larkspur : Delphinium distichum (D. burkei) - Plants less than 60 cm high. Stem leaves numerous crowded, and of different shapes along the stems. The lower leaves with wider lobes, the upper with narrow lobes. Racemes narrow throughout with pedicels no longer than the spurs. Plants of wet meadows and other sites wet early in the season.
Blue Mountain Larkspur, Dwarf Larkspur, Slim Larkspur: Delphinium depauperatum (Synonyms: Delphinium cyanoreios, Delphinium diversifolium, Delphinium diversifolium ssp. harneyense, Delphinium diversifolium var. harneyense) - Plants less than 60 cm high. Stem leaves mostly near the base and the lowest green at flowering time. Lower petals with hairs in central tufts. Inflorescence usually glandular-puberulent and narrow throughout. Plants of riparian areas or areas moist early in the season of central and eastern Oregon.
Olympic Larkspur, Olympic Mountain Larkspur, Rockslide Larkspur: Delphinium glareosum (Synonyms: Delphinium basalticum, Delphinium glareosum ssp. caprorum, Delphinium glareosum ssp. glareosum, Delphinium glareosum var. caprorum) -
Pale Larkspur, Sierra Larkspur, Western Larkspur: Delphinium glaucum (formerly Delphinium occidentale) - Plants 1 meter or higher. Stems noticeably hollow. Stem leaves with 5-7 broad lobes that are toothed but not dissected. Racemes compact with many flowers. Flower stems often shorter than the spurs. Flowers are often whitish-streaked or pale blue in color. The sepals rarely exceed 12 mm in length and are cupped forward. Found from northeastern Oregon to Montana and south throught the Rocky Mts. to Colorado.Thinpetal Larkspur, Thin-petal Larkspur: Delphinium lineapetalum (Synonym: Delphinium nuttallianum var. lineapetalum) -
Menzies' Larkspur: Delphinium menziesii ssp. menziesii -
Kittitas Larkspur: Delphinium multiplex - Plants 45-100 cm high. The sepals are up to 15 cm long with rounded to abruptly acute tips. The leaves are of several types with the lower ones dissected into oblong, obtuse or rounded segments while the uper leaves have much narrower segments. Plants of the Wenatchee Mts of northern Kittitas county and southern Chelan county of Washington.
Upland Larkspur, Two-lobe Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Plants mostly 10-40 cm high. Flowers with 5 sepals of roughly equal length, of a dark blue color. The inner petals are smaller, with the lower pair whitish with blue veins and deeply notched at the tips. Leaves simple, palmate, and deeply lobed.
Upland Larkspur, Nuttall's Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallii -
Tall Mt. Larkspur, Hedgenettle Larkspur: Delphinium stachydeum - Plants 1 meter or higher. Stems noticeably hollow. Stem leaves palmately dissected into relatively narrow segments. The sepals rarely exceed 12 mm in length. Plants of dry sagebrush slopes to ponderosa and lodgepole pine forests, found from central Oregon to southwestern Idaho and northeastern California.
Wenatchee Larkspur: Delphinium viridescens - Plants 80-120 cm high and strongly yellow glandular-pubescent above. Flowers with 5 sepals which are purplish but strongly streaked with yellow or green. Spur 7-10 mm long. Plants of meadow edges that are moist in early spring to the east of the Cascade crest in north-central Washington (from southern Chelan county to northern Kittitas county).
Yellow-white Larkspur: Delphinium xantholeucum - Plants often less than 50 cm high and not glandular puberulent. Flowers with 5 white or cream sepals. The spur is generally longer than10 mm. Plants are typically found in dry grassy hillsides and ponderosa pine forests to the east of the Cascade crest in north-central Washington (from south Okanogan Co south to southern Chelan and western Douglas counties and the Wenatchee Mts.).