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Delphinium nudicaule

Common name:	Red Larkspur	Family:	Ranunculaceae
Author:	Torr.&A.Gray.	Botanical references:	71, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	All parts of the plant are toxic[172]. The plant is most toxic when it is young[200].
Range:	South-western N. America - California.
Habitat:	Dry slopes among shrubs and in woods, below 2150 metres[71].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Christmashorns [B], Red Larkspur [P],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ranunculales. Buttercup family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.3m by 0.25m . It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Narcotic.

The root is considered by some native North American Indians to be highly narcotic[213, 257].

Other Uses

A blue dye is obtained from the flowers[207]. An ink can be made from the dye[207].
A parasiticide is obtained from the leaves[172]. It is quite toxic and so is for external use only.

Cultivation details

Prefers a rich well-drained soil[111, 200]. Dislikes water-logged soils[200]. Requires an open sunny position[188].
Plants can flower in their first year from spring-sown seed, they are reliably perennial in their native environment, but often die overwinter in most parts of Britain[200].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[54].
Slugs and snails are very attracted to this plant[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow March/April in a cold frame or May outdoors[111]. Keep moist and in a shady position until germination takes place[175]. The seed has a limited viability so it should be stored in a sealed container at about 3°c[200]. Temperatures above 15°c inhibit germination[175]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 9 weeks at 15°c[175]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Cuttings of basal shoots in April/May, taken before they become hollow at the base, and planted in a cold frame[111].
Division in spring[111] or early autumn[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
Images from the CalPhoto database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Ranunculaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[71] Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959
An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.

[111] Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge 1926
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Delphinium+nudicaule
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.