''Delphinium nuttallianum'' is a species of
larkspur known by the common names two-lobe larkspur, upland larkspur, common larkspur, and Nuttall's larkspur
(the latter name is shared with ''
Delphinium nuttallii''). It is widely distributed across western North America from
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 ...
to
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, including mountain meadows and the majority of the
sagebrush steppe
Sagebrush steppe also known as the sagebrush sea, is a type of shrub-steppe, a plant community characterized by the presence of shrubs, and usually dominated by sagebrush, any of several species in the genus '' Artemisia''. , except very dry areas.
The roots vary from thin to thick.
The plant has a white to pink erect stem usually not exceeding half a meter in height, which may branch several times. Deeply lobed leaves are located mostly about the base of the plant. The
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 ...
occupying the top end of the stem has a few widely spaced flowers on long
pedicels
In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the 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 branch ...
. 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 are long and curl backwards or fold upon themselves. They may be purple to blue or almost white.
The lower petals are the same color, while the upper are often white. The spur is one or two centimeters long. The upper portion of the plant is often hairy.
The species is very poisonous to livestock, especially cattle.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
nuttallianum
{{Ranunculaceae-stub