Roots 5-20 cm. Stems (35-)60-90(-110) cm. Leaves: basal leaves usually absent at anthesis; cauline leaves with ultimate lobes 7-27, width 1-6 mm. Inflorescences: bracteoles 3-7 mm. Flowers: sepals usually spreading, lateral sepals 9-15 mm, spurs 8-15 mm; lower petal blades 3-8 mm. 2 n = 16.

Flowering spring. Locally abundant in oak woodland, chaparral; 200-1700 m; Calif., Mexico (Baja California).

Two morphotypes may be recognized in Delphinium parryi subsp. parryi . That corresponding to the type specimen of subsp. parryi has larger flowers (especially lower petal blades), less abundant pubescence, and somewhat more coarsely dissected leaves; it is usually found in woodlands or relatively moist chaparral. The second morphotype, in its extreme represented by the type specimen of D . parryi var. seditiosum , has smaller flowers, more pubescence, and more finely dissected leaves and is usually found in chaparral and, less often, in dry woodlands. It may occur sporadically throughout the range of D . parryi subsp. parryi , although it is most common north of the Transverse Ranges. Hybrids with D . cardinale have been named D . × inflexum . Hybrids are also known with D . gypsophilum subsp. parviflorum , D . hesperium subsp. pallescens , D . umbraculorum , and D . variegatum .

Delphinium parryi subsp. parryi may be confused with the blue-flowered phases of D . hesperium ; see discussion under that species for distinguishing features.