About Delphinium patens Newb.
Delphinium patens is a larkspur species commonly called zigzag larkspur and spreading larkspur. It is a wildflower found primarily in California, and its presence is expected but not yet confirmed in Baja California. Mature plants typically grow between 20 and 50 centimeters tall, and each plant can produce up to 36 flowers. Most of its stems are hairless, have reddish bases, and hold leaves only on the lower half of the stem. Each leaf is divided into 3 to 9 lobes. The flower has dark blue sepals, with the later sepals being reflexed. The spur at the back of the flower measures 4 to 8 millimeters in length. The central cleft of the flower has scattered white or yellowish hairs. The elongated fruit is 1 to 2 centimeters long and holds pitted seeds. There are three recognized subspecies of Delphinium patens: Delphinium patens subsp. hepaticoideum, Delphinium patens subsp. montanum, and Delphinium patens subsp. patens. In the wild, Delphinium patens hybridizes freely with a small number of other species in Delphinium section Grumosa.
