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• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Landscaping
• Growth
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
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Taxonomy

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication: Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. ser. 2, 3:30. 1887

Name verified on 16-Dec-1992 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 08-Oct-2002

Physical Description

Genus Delphinium:

Herbs, perennial, from fasciculate roots or rhizomes. Leaves basal and/or cauline, petiolate, petioles gradually to abruptly shorter on distal leaves; basal leaves usually larger than cauline; cauline leaves alternate. Leaf blade deeply palmately divided, round to pentagonal or reniform, margins entire or lobes apically crenate or lacerate, lobes of basal blades wider and fewer than those of cauline blades. Inflorescences terminal, 2-100(-more) -flowered racemes (occasionally branched, thus technically panicles), 5-40 cm or more; bracts subtending inflorescence branches; pedicels present or absent; bracteoles (on pedicels) subopposite-subalternate, not forming involucre. Flowers bisexual, bilaterally symmetric; sepals not persistent in fruit, 5; upper sepal 1, spurred, 8-24 mm; lateral sepals 2, ± ovate to elliptic, 8-18 mm; lower sepals 2, similar to lateral sepals; upper petals 2, spurred, enclosed in upper sepal, nectary inside tip of spur; lower petals 2, plane, ± ovate, ± 2-lobed, clawed, 2-12 mm, nectary absent; stamens 25-40; filaments with base expanded; staminodes absent between stamens and pistils; pistils 3(-5), simple; ovules 8-20 per pistil; style present. Fruits follicles, aggregate, sessile, ± curved-cylindric, sides prominently veined or not; beak terminal, straight, 2-4 mm. Seeds dark brown to black (often appearing white because of air in seed coat cells), rectangular to pyramidal, often ± rough surfaced. x = 8.

Species ca. 300: n temperate and arctic subtropical and, in Eastern Hemisphere, tropical mountains (s of equator in Africa) .

Three Eurasian species of Delphinium -- D . elatum Linnaeus, D . grandiflorum Linnaeus, and D . tatsienense Franchet--have been commonly cultivated in North America. Of the nonnative taxa, only D . elatum is sporadically naturalized, as far as is known. Isolating mechanisms in Delphinium appear to be primarily ecological, geographic, and/or temporal. Where these distinctions are disrupted, introgression often exists. Hybridization occurs regularly between certain taxa, particularly in areas of disturbance (e.g., roadcuts, drainage ditches, clearcuts) . The more common and easily recognized hybrids are included in the key.

Many names have been misapplied in Delphinium . The few misapplied names mentioned in discussions below refer to relatively widespread problems.^[1]

Habit: Upright perennial.

Flowers: The flower has five petals which grow together to form a hollow flower with a spur at the end. Blooms in late spring to late summer. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Foliage: Deeply lobed with 3-7 toothed, pointed lobes.

Distribution

Range and Population

Native: .

Landscaping

Care: Deer resistant. Heat tolerant. Use slug bait as needed. Work bone meal around the plants. Treat mildew with a mildew spray or dusting sulfur. When flowers fade, cut spikes just above foliage, leaving a foot of old stem.

Growth

Culture: Space 12-15" apart. Allow seedheads to dry on plant before collection. Propate from seed by directly sowing outdoors in fall or using a coldframe or unheated greenhouse in winter. Finish planting by mid-April.

Soil: Soil: Prefers cool, rich, moist soil with a summer mulch. Needs good winter drainage.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.

Moisture: Water Requirements: Irrigate flowering plants freely at their base. Sprinkling may cause mildew.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b. (map)

Similar Species

Members of the genus Delphinium:

There are approximately 1,873 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: D. amabile typicum · D. austriacum stiriacum · D. bicornutum oaxacanum · D. brachycentrum beringii · D. elatum bosniacum · D. elatum cryophilum · D. elatum macrotepalum · D. elatum nacladense · D. elatum polatschekii · D. elatum pubicaule · D. elatum tiroliense · D. elatum villosum · D. emarginatum nevadense · D. fissum albiflorum · D. fissum bolosii · D. fissum caseyi · D. fissum ithaburense · D. fissum pallasii · D. hanseni kernense · D. menziesii ochroleucum · D. nanum albolilaceum · D. nanum elongatum · D. oxysepalum spectabile · D. parryi blochmanae · D. parryi eastwoodae · D. pedatisectum ehrenbergii · D. pentagynum formenteranum · D. peregrinum gracile · D. peregrinum verdunense · D. pictum requienii · D. pubescens mauritanicum · D. schmalhausenii freynii · D. simonkaianum sericeocarpum · D. staphisagria pictum · D. variegatum apiculatum · D. virescens macroceratilis · D. virescens penardi · D. virescens wootoni · D. 'A.J. Moir' · D. 'Abendleuchten' · D. 'After Midnight' · D. 'Agnes Brookes' · D. 'Ailsa' · D. 'Alice Artindale' · D. 'Alie Duyvensteyn' · D. 'Alison Claire' · D. 'Alphonse Karr' · D. 'Amadeus' · D. 'Ambrose Woods' · D. 'Amédée Hans' · D. 'Amos Perry' · D. 'Amour' · D. 'Angela Harbutt' · D. 'Ann Woodfield' · D. 'Anne Kenrick' · D. 'Anne Page' · D. 'Antares' · D. 'Aphrodite' · D. 'Apollo' · D. 'Ariel' · D. 'Astolat' (Delphinium) · D. 'Atholl' · D. 'Audrey Mott' · D. 'Augenweide' · D. 'Baby Doll' · D. 'Barbara Nason' · D. 'Bareighteen' · D. 'Barfifteen' · D. 'Bartwentyfive' · D. 'Bartwentyfour' · D. 'Bartwo' · D. 'Basil Clitheroe' · D. 'Berghimmel' (Delphinium) · D. 'Beryl Burton' · D. 'Betty Baseley' · D. 'Black Arrow' · D. 'Black Pearl' · D. 'Blackberry Ice' · D. 'Blackbird' · D. 'Blaustrahl' · D. 'Blauwal' · D. 'Blondie' · D. 'Blue Arrow' · D. 'Blue Bedder' · D. 'Blue Belladona' · D. 'Blue Bird' · D. 'Blue Boy' · D. 'Blue Butterfly' · D. 'Blue Cockade' · D. 'Blue Dawn' · D. 'Blue Gown' · D. 'Blue Heaven' · D. 'Blue Hex' · D. 'Blue Jay' · D. 'Blue Lace' · D. 'Blue Lagoon' · D. 'Blue Max Arrow' · D. 'Blue Mirror' · D. 'Blue Monarch' · D. 'Blue Nile'

Bibliography

• Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
• Ewan, J. 1945. A synopsis of the North American species of Delphinium. Univ. Colorado Stud., Ser. D, Phys. Sci. 2: 55-244.
• Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR. (F USSR)
• Lewis, H. and C. Epling. 1954. A taxonomic study of Californian delphiniums. Brittonia 8: 1-22.
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
• McGuffin, M. et al., eds. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. (Herbs Commerce ed2) [accepts].
• Munz, P. A. 1967. J. Arnold Arbor. 48:294.
• Taylor, R. J. 1960. The genus Delphinium in Wyoming. Univ. Wyoming Publ. 24: 9-21.
• Warnock, M. J. 1993. Delphinium. In: J. C. Hickman, ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual. Higher Plants of California. Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London. Pp. 916-922.
• Warnock, M. J. 1995. A taxonomic conspectus of North American Delphinium. Phytologia 78(2): 73-101.

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Notes

Contributors:

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 19, 2007.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 27, 2008)
• USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Identifiers:

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 506593
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 293915
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:711154-1
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: DEZA2
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 34682

Footnotes:

1. Michael J. Warnock "Delphinium". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.