Delphinium inopinum
Encyclopedia
Delphinium inopinum is a species of larkspur
known by the common name unexpected larkspur. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California
, where it is known mostly from rocky areas in open temperate coniferous forest habitat.
of at least 25 flowers. Each flower is held on a pedicel
up to 2.5 centimeters long. The flower has white to light blue sepal
s each about a centimeter long which generally roll up and extend forward, with a spur about a centimeter long extending back. The fruit is up to 2 centimeters long.
Delphinium
Delphinium is a genus of about 300 species of perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. The common name, larkspur, is shared with the closely related genus Consolida...
known by the common name unexpected larkspur. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known mostly from rocky areas in open temperate coniferous forest habitat.
Description
Delphinium inopinum is a perennial herb with one or more erect, waxy stems usually exceeding a meter in height. The leaves are located mainly toward the base of the stem, with the upper part occupied by a racemeRaceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of at least 25 flowers. Each flower is held on a pedicel
Pedicel (botany)
A pedicel is a stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower....
up to 2.5 centimeters long. The flower has white to light blue sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s each about a centimeter long which generally roll up and extend forward, with a spur about a centimeter long extending back. The fruit is up to 2 centimeters long.