Delphinium hansenii is a species of larkspur known by the common names Eldorado larkspur and Hansen's delphinium. It is endemic to California, where it grows in mountains, valleys, and desert from the southern Cascade Range to the Mojave Desert.

Delphinium hansenii

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Delphinium
Species:
D. hansenii
Binomial name
Delphinium hansenii

Description edit

This wildflower usually grows between one half and one meter in height, although it can grow much taller. The deeply lobed leaves are hairy, especially on the undersides. The inflorescence has usually over 25 flowers grouped close together at the top of the stem and held on long pedicels. The flowers are white to light blue or light pink, or bicolored, and vary in size. The inner petals may be quite hairy. The flowering time is between the months of March and May. It has a chromosome number of 2n=32, which means that the total number of chromosomes in diploid cells is 32.[2] The fruit type is a follicle. It is a perennial herb.[3]

It could be confused with Delphinium hesperium, but is it easily identifiable by the unique seeds of the Eldorado larkspur. The seeds are very unique among members of its genus, bearing many prism-like raised structures. Most other species can also be distinguished from D. hansenii from its seeds.[4]

External links edit

References edit

  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  2. ^ "Delphinium hansenii subsp. ewanianum". ucjeps.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  3. ^ "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  4. ^ "SEINet Portal Network - Delphinium hansenii". swbiodiversity.org. Retrieved 2023-09-15.