Consolida Gray

	Consolida sp.: stem

larkspur, Delphinium

Consolida (larkspur) is sometimes included in the genus Delphinium in the trade, but it is considered a separate genus botanically.

larkspur

Consolida ambigua (L.) P.W. Ball & Hey. (=C. ajacis auct; Delphinium ajacis auct.)

C. orientalis (Gay) Schrödinger

C. regalis S.F. Gray (=Delphinium consolida L.¹).

Mediterranean region.

Leaves sessile, palmately deeply dissected and further dissected into narrow, filiform segments; spikelike racemes of spurred, zygomorphic flowers; petaloid calyx of 5 sepals ca. 1.5 cm long, one of which is elongated into a spur ca. 1.5-2.5 cm long; corolla small, forming the central "bee", of 2 upper petals united into 1 entire to 3-5-lobed petal, its spur projecting into sepal spur; stamens many.

Racemes dense to looser; flowers in numerous colors, sometimes with sepal edges picotee, in both single and double forms; doubles have more than the usual number of sepals rather than petals.

Delphinium

Delphinium differs from Consolida in having leaves shallowly to deeply dissected, with broad to narrow, but not filiform, lobes, and flowers with 4 petals in 2 unequal pairs, lower pair sometimes bearded.

Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe.