Delphinium glaucum : Tall Larkspur

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Crowfoot/Buttercup Family)

Genera: Delphinium (Larkspur) (Gk. delphin= dolphin; referring to the resemblence of the hollow sepal appendage to a dolphins head.)

Species: glaucum (Gk. glaukos= blue-grey-green; referring to the colour of the leaves)

Synonym(s): D. brownii

English Name(s):

Tall Larkspur, Tall Delphinium, Sierra/Glaucus Larkspur

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plant herbaceous (not woody) with colourless acrid (bitter) juice.
• From thick subligneous (almost woody) fibrous much-branched ascending rhizomes (rootstock).
• Stems stout, glabrous (hairless), often purplish tinged, 1-2meters high.

Leaves:

• Blades Palmately divided, 5-7 main lobes, glabrous (hairless) to glaucous (grey-waxy), above, glabrous to short-pubescent (hairy) below.
• Petioles (stalks) 1.5-19.0cm long.

Reproductive Parts:

• Inflorescence (flower clusters) in racemes of numerous flowers; racemes elongating up to 40cm long.
• Flowers perfect (bisexual) and of regular symmetry.
• Sepals 5, petal like blueish or purplish.
• Upper sepal including spur 2.2-3.5cm long.
• Side sepals 7-12mm long.
• Petals 4, irregular in shape.
• Ovaries superior (above floral parts).

Seed:

• Fruit pod-like follicles, 2-3 together, about 1cm long, pubescent (hairy) or glabrous (hairless).

Not to Be Confused With:

• Young plants, before they develop flowers, can resemble Aconitum delphinifolium (Monkshood)
.

Physiology:

• These plants contain the alkaloids delphinine, delphineidine, ajacine and others which cause upset stomach, nervous symptoms, depression, and could be fatal if eaten in large quantities.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• plants deciduous from rootstock.
• Plants flowering in mid-July.

Animal Uses:

• Flowers are sepecifically adapted to pollination by bumblebees.
• Some wild herbavores use these plants for forage.

Habitat:

• Moist woodland meadows and clearing.
• Alpine tundra and thickets.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

• Seed and flowers are ground and steepid in rubbing alchohol or vinegar for a week, then strained. this extract is used as a remedy for pubic crabs and scabies and is made into a soap for head lice.

Food:

• These plants are considered to be mildly poisonous.

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: