Zigzag larkspur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zigzag larkspur |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Delphinium
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| Species: |
patens
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Delphinium patens is a type of wild flower. It is often called zigzag larkspur or spreading larkspur. You can mostly find it growing in California. Scientists also think it might grow in Baja California, which is just south of California.
All About Zigzag Larkspur
This plant usually grows to be about 20 to 50 centimeters tall. That's like the length of a ruler or two! Each plant can have up to 36 pretty flowers. Its stems are mostly smooth and have a reddish color near the bottom. The leaves grow on the lower part of the stem. Each leaf is split into 3 to 9 smaller parts, like fingers on a hand.
The flowers are a dark blue color. They have special leaf-like parts called sepals that bend backward. At the back of each flower, there's a small "spur" that is about 4 to 8 millimeters long. In the middle of the flower, there's a small split part that has white or yellowish hairs. After the flower blooms, it forms a long fruit, about one or two centimeters long. This fruit holds tiny seeds with small pits on them.
Different Kinds of Zigzag Larkspur
Just like there are different breeds of dogs, there are different types of zigzag larkspur called subspecies. These are slightly different versions of the same plant species. There are three known subspecies of Delphinium patens:
- Delphinium patens subsp. hepaticoideum
- Delphinium patens subsp. montanum
- Delphinium patens subsp. patens
How They Mix and Match
Sometimes, Delphinium patens plants can hybridize with other types of larkspur. This means they can mix their genes and create new plants that are a blend of both parents. This often happens naturally in the wild with other species from the Delphinium section Grumosa.
