Delphinium carolinianum

Stems (20-)40-90(-150) cm; base reddish or not, ± pubescent. Leaves basal and cauline; basal leaves 0-10 at anthesis; cauline leaves 4-12 at anthesis; petiole 0.1-14 cm. Leaf blade round to pentagonal, 1-8 × 2-12 cm, pubescence variable; ultimate lobes 3-29, width 2-10 mm (basal), 1-7 mm (cauline). Inflorescences (3-)8-27(-94)-flowered; pedicel (0.4-)0.7-1.8(-5.7) cm, nearly glabrous to glandular; bracteoles 1-3.5(-6) mm from flowers, green or blue, linear, 2-7 mm, pubescence nearly glabrous to glandular. Flowers: sepals purple to blue to white, nearly glabrous, lateral sepals spreading, (7-)9-14(-17) × (3-)3.5-6(-8) mm, spurs ± upcurved, ascending 20-90° above vertical, (9-)11-17(-19) mm; lower petal blades ± covering stamens, 5-7 mm, cleft 2-4 mm; hairs centered, densest near base of cleft, white, sometimes blue or yellow. Fruits (10-)12.5-18.5(-27) mm, 4-4.5 times longer than wide, glabrous to puberulent. Seeds: seed coat cells with surfaces pustulate or smooth.

Stem 5-10(-15) dm, pubescent throughout, glandular above; lvs well distributed along the stem, deeply dissected into linear segments seldom over 2 mm wide, the upper petioles notably short or wanting; basal lvs soon deciduous, mostly wanting at anthesis; racemes elongate, often branched, virgate, the lower pedicels to 2 cm; fls mostly blue (except for the usually white upper pet), rarely white; spur 13-18 mm; lower pet bifid, bearded; follicles 10-15+ mm; seeds obscurely 3-winged, the sides covered with appressed scales; 2n=16 (32). Dry woods, prairies, and sand-hills; n. Fla. to e. Tex., n. to N.C., Ky., Ill., Io., and w. Kans. May-July. (D. azureum; D. nortonianum)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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