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Taxon  Report  
Delphinium inopinum  (Jepson) Harlan Lewis & Epling
Unexpected larkspur
Delphinium inopinum is a perennial herb that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
California Rare Plant Rank: 4.3 (limited distribution).
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~54 records in California
yellowone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
DJJJASONAFMM

Bloom Period
Genus: Delphinium
Family: Ranunculaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Do not eat any part of this plant.

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + CNPS + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
JEF + PLANTSDelphinium parishii var. inopinum
Information about  Delphinium inopinum from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (DEIN)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Range, Description: Delphinium inopinum is a species of larkspur known by the common name unexpected larkspur. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California, where it is known mostly from rocky areas in open temperate coniferous forest habitat. Description Delphinium inopinum is a perennial herb with one or more erect, waxy stems usually exceeding a meter in height. The leaves are located mainly toward the base of the stem, with the upper part occupied by a raceme of at least 25 flowers. Each flower is held on a pedicel up to 2.5 centimeters long. The flower has white to light blue sepals each about a centimeter long which generally roll up and extend forward, with a spur about a centimeter long extending back. The fruit is up to 2 centimeters long. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/24/2024).