''Delphinium californicum'' is a species of larkspur known as California larkspur. This wildflower is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where it is a resident of the

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

slopes of the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

and the Central Coast. It has a long root from which erect, tall stems grow, usually exceeding a meter in height and often approaching two meters. The leaves arise on long petioles and are each divided into as many as 15 finger-like, pointed lobes. The top of the stem is occupied with a very large

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

usually containing over 50 flowers. Each flower grows on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

several centimeters long. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s point forward, forming a cup around the opening of the somewhat tubular flower. The longest sepals are about a centimeter long, and the spur of the flower may approach two centimeters in length. The flower is generally white to greenish-white to light lavender.

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Delphinium californicum''''Delphinium californicum'' — U.C. Photo gallery
californicum Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Ranunculaceae-stub