Taxon Report

Delphinium stachydeum (Gray) Tides.

spiked larkspur

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Delphinium stachydeum, commonly known as spiked larkspur, is a perennial herb in the Ranunculaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Upper montane coniferous forest (edges), growing at elevations from 1300 to 2600 meters. Delphinium stachydeum is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Delphinium stachydeum (Gray) Tides.
Common Name:	spiked larkspur
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Element Code:	PDRAN0B1Q0
USDA Plants Symbol:	DEST
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	1300-2600 (4265-8530)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5?
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	34
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	6
Good (B)	16
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	9

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Modoc (MOD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Boot Lake (4112012), Buckhorn Lake (4012081), Cleghorn Flat (4012075), Cold Spring Mtn. (4112013), Eagle Peak (4112032), Emerson Peak (4112022), Fredonyer Peak (4012065), Holbrook Canyon (4112015), Jess Valley (4112023), Larkspur Hills (4112071), Observation Peak (4012072), Shinn Mtn. (4012062), Tule Mountain (4112024), West of Snowstorm Mtn. (4012064)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	9
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	20	59 %
Grazing	18	52%
Logging	7	20%
Recreational use (non-ORV)	2	5%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	5%
Foot traffic/trampling	2	5%
Erosion/runoff	1	2%
Improper burning regime	1	2%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	2%
ORV activity	1	2%

Notes



Possibly threatened by logging and grazing. See Botanical Gazette 12:52 (1887) for original description, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 27:61 (1914) for revised nomenclature, and Brittonia 8:1-22 (1954) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 January 2025].