pinnately cleft or divided; flowers commonly showy, morphologically very similar 

 in our species, in terminal racemes or panicles; sepals 5, irregular, petal-like, 

 the upper one prolonged into a spur at the base; petals 4 or rarely 2 (united into 

 one), irregular, the upper pair continued backward into long spurs that are en- 

 closed in the spur of the calyx, the lower pair with short claws; stamens usually 

 numerous; pistils 3 or fused into 1, forming many-seeded follicles. 



This is a complex genus of about 150 species mostly in the North Temperate 

 Zone. Many species and hybrids are valued as ornamentals, and many of the 

 species are known to be poisonous to livestock. The complexity of the genus is 

 emphasized by the existence of multiple hybrids. This fact should be considered 

 when identification of our plants is undertaken. 



1. Raceme, sepals and follicles strongly glandular-pubescent or -puberulent 



1. D. sapellonis. 



1. The above organs usually puberulent, without glands (2) 



2(1). Stem typically 1-2 m. tall; leaves coarsely dissected; racemes open, not 

 conspicuously bracteate; sinus of the lower petals 1 mm. deep; 

 follicles oblong, 10-14 mm. long 2. D. andesicola. 



2. Stem usually less than 1 m. tall; leaves finely dissected; racemes interrupted- 



spicate, usually conspicuously leafy-bracteate below; sinus of the 



lower petals 3-4 mm. deep; follicles ovate, 9-1 1 mm. long 



3. D. tenuisectum. 



1. Delphinium sapellonis Cockll. 



Strict slender more or less virgate perennial from a short slender rootstock; 

 stems fistulous, glabrous below, glandular-pubescent in the raceme, 1-2 m. tall; 

 leaves mainly midcauline, numerous, variable even on the same plant; blades 

 mostly longer than the petioles, palmatisect into narrowly cuneate primary divi- 

 sions that are distally irregularly lobed or simply toothed, the shortly acute 

 ultimate segments glabrous on both surfaces; racemes spicate with the numerous 

 flowers close-set or laxly paniculate with the few flowers scattered; bracts filiform, 

 1-1.2 cm. long; sepals mostly dull brownish or greenish veined with purple, in 

 bud varying to from pale green to very dark purple, ovate, abruptly acute, 

 streaked, somewhat crisped to entire, 8-9 mm. long, 4.5-5 mm. wide, usually 

 glandular-pubescent dorsally; spur somewhat decurved, 6-9 mm. long; limb of the 

 lower petals narrowly oblong, comose, the sinus 2 mm. deep, the upper petals 

 oblique, shortly acute; follicles oblong, erect, 12-16 mm. long, densely glandular- 

 puberulent, the cusp thin and spreading; seeds rounded or quadrate-angled, 

 brownish, with prominent hyaline wing margins, 2-2.5 mm. long. 



Damp or wet soil along streams, edge of meadows and in woodlands, in N. M. 

 (Mora, San Miguel and Sandoval cos.), July-Aug. 



2. Delphinium andesicola Ewan. 



Medium to tall stout erect perennial from a stout woody-fibrous deep-seated 

 rootstock; stems simple or few from the rootcrown, 1-2 m. tall, leafy to the 

 racemes, purplish, with a uniform fine puberulence; leaves predominantly cauline, 

 the basal similar, withering at flowering time, minutely puberulent; principal 

 cauline leaves with petioles 6-9 cm. long, of 3 cuneate-rhomboid or -obovate 

 divisions that are again pinnatifid distally into narrowly oblong few-toothed 

 long ultimate segments, the teeth acute, the proximal half of the division blade 

 entire and gradually narrowed below, the segments 1-1.5 cm. wide at base of lobes; 

 racemes elongate, open, 25-35 cm. long; flowers numerous, with ascending 

 or spreading puberulent pedicels 2-3 cm. long; sepals dull ashy- or dark-blue, 

 ovate, subacute, 9-12 mm. long, cinereous-puberulent; upper petals pale-blue; 

 lower petals ovate-oblong, notched, with sinus 1 mm. deep, blue-purple, moderately 



919 



