Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

DWARF LARKSPUR

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Delphinium tricorne Michx.

Johnson County, Kansas

Perennial

Height: 8-28 inches

Family: Ranunculaceae - Buttercup Family

Flowering Period: April, May, June

Also Called:

Rock larkspur.

Stems:

Erect, solitary, usually stout, unbranched to sparingly branched, hollow, somewhat succulent, glabrous below, pubescent in inflorescence; stem breaks easily.

Leaves:

Alternate, few, mostly at or near base, long-stalked below, stalks of upper leaves reduced in size; main stem leaves 4-12, palmately-divided; segments 3-7, lanceolate to oblong-linear

Inflorescences:

Raceme, slender, 2 to 8 inches long, 6-30-flowered, finely soft-hairy, terminal; spurs of flowers intersect raceme axis.

Flowers:

Showy, to 1.5 inch long; stalks .4 to 1.2 inch long; sepals 5, petal-like, deep blue or violet, rarely pink or white, lower ones 2/5 to 4/5 inch long, uppermost with spur 2/5 to 4/5 inch long; petals 4, small, inconspicuous; upper 2 petals white, often tinged blue, extending backward into sepal spur; lower 2 petals usually blue, bearded, partly concealing stamens and pistils; stamens numerous.

Fruits:

Pods 3, erect, spreading at maturity, 2/5 to 3/5 inch long, pointed; seeds numerous, dark.

Habitat:

Moist or rocky woods, thickets, stream banks, roadsides, and ravine bottoms.

Distribution:

East 1/3 of Kansas.

Origin:

Native

Toxicity:

Poisonous to livestock.

Comments:

From Latin tricornis, "having 3 horns", alluding to the 3 spreading fruit pods.