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Delphinium
is from the Latin "delphinus", "Dolphin", for the
resemblance of the flower buds to a pod of Dolphins leaping. |
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Delphinium
barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer. Delphinium barbeyi is a favorite for many hikers; it is certainly one of my favorites. Delphinium flowers range from an iridescent inky-blue to deep purple, the plant's four to seven foot flower stalks are stately and eye-catching, and the plant is abundant and long-flowering. Click to see a comparison of the leaves of Delphinium barbeyi and several other species. Along with the massive white flowering Cow Parsnip and lacy white Loveroot, Delphinium dominates moist, subalpine Aspen woods in July and August when the three put on one of the finest mountain wildflower displays. Tall flower stalks of blue and white seem to float above acres of green, dense, moist, redolent summer foliage. Stretching high above are brilliant white Aspen trunks capped with quaking green leaves and radiant shafts of Colorado violet-blue sky. Linnaeus named this genus in 1753. "Delphinium" is from the Latin "delphinus", "Dolphin", for the resemblance of the flower buds to Dolphins. (See the photo at top of this page.) This species was first collected for science by Hall and Harbour (associates of Charles Parry for one glorious collecting season in 1862). The plant was at first named Delphinium scopulorum variety subalpinum by Asa Gray in 1887. In 1893 Ernest Huth gave the plant its presently accepted name to honor William Barbey, late 19th century Swiss philanthropist and botanist. |
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer. Immature plants of any species can be challenging to identify. The deeply cut leaves, the masses of plants, and the spur on the lower right flower made it clear to me that these are the flowers of Delphinium barbeyi.
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer.
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer. Albiflora (white flower) forms of Delphinium barbeyi are rarely seen, and rarely forgotten. |
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer. For years I believed the flowers at left were examples of variations in the color of Delphinium barbeyi. But in 2015 I came across very robust Delphinium plants with similar flower colors and realized that they belong to a different species, Delphinium robustum. Click to see this species. |
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer. Abundant Delphinium follicles (seed capsules) follow abundant flowering which was the product of a near record 2018-2019 snowfall. |
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Delphinium barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer. The glow at the side of the stems (also visible in the photos immediately above and below) is due to the presence of a myriad of short, fine, straight hairs. |
Delphinium
barbeyi (Barbey's Larkspur, Subalpine Larkspur) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Subalpine, alpine.
Meadows, woodlands. Summer. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Delphinium barbeyi |