Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Colorado Larkspur

Delphinium alpestre

Rydb.

Colorado Larkspur

G3Vulnerable Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.127917
Element CodePDRAN0B020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderRanunculales
FamilyRanunculaceae
GenusDelphinium
Synonyms
Delphinium ramosum var. alpestre(Rydb.) W.A. Weber
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodLegacy Rank calculation - Excel v3.1x
Review Date2017-05-04
Change Date2017-05-04
Edition Date2016-07-12
Edition Authorsrev. Spackman, S. and D. Anderson (2000); rev. Handwerk, J. (2009), rev. Treher (2016), rev. A. Tomaino (2017)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Restricted to high elevations in Colorado and New Mexico. About 15 extant occurrences. Threats are unknown. Sites should be surveyed for recent information on their status and condition. Three sites are historic.
Range Extent Comments
South central mountains of Colorado, and northern New Mexico.
Occurrences Comments
There are 9 extant and 3 historic occurrences from 9 counties in Colorado and it is known from at least 7 sites in New Mexico.
Threat Impact Comments
Sites need to be surveyed for threats. The only site that lists threats is in the area of recreation and some trampling may occur. The remoteness of sites affords this plant some protection.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Perennial herb 5-25 cm tall; leaves all on stem, but crowded near base, petioles 1-10 cm long, blades 2-5 cm long and about as wide, palmately divided into 5 main lobes, each lobe further dissected into smaller lobes; inflorescence a raceme of 2-8 flowers; sepals dull blue or dull blue tinged with brown, especially on the back, spreading or forward-pointing, 11-14 mm long, the upper sepal extended basally into a spur 8-12 mm long; lower petal blades cleft, 4-6 mm long (New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council 1999).

Habitat

Exposed talus slopes; alpine tundras and meadows above 3400 m (FNA 1997).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousAlpineTundra
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS3Yes
ColoradoS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (2)
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Columbine - Hondo Wilderness Study AreaCarson National Forest43,739
Latir PeakCarson National Forest3,573
References (5)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1997. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 590 pp.
  2. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  3. Martin, W.C., and C.R. Hutchins. 1980-1981. A flora of New Mexico. 1980, Vol. 1; 1981, Vol. 2. J. Cramer, in der A.R. Gantner Verlag, K.G., Vaduz, Liechtenstein. 2591 pp.
  4. New Mexico Native Plant Protection Advisory Committee. 1984. A handbook of rare and endemic plants of New Mexico. Univ. New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 291 pp.
  5. New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Council. 1999. New Mexico Rare Plants. Albuquerque, NM: New Mexico Rare Plants Home Page. http://nmrareplants.unm.edu (Latest update: 30 March 2012).