Consolida ajacis

(Linnaeus) Schur

Verh. Mitth. Siebenbürg. Vereins Naturwiss. Hermannstadt 4: 47. 1853.

IllustratedIntroduced
Basionym: Delphinium ajacis Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 531. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems 3-8(-10) dm, glabrous to sparsely puberulent. Leaves 5-20 or more. Leaf blade orbiculate, 12-60-lobed or more, 1-5 cm wide, glabrous to puberulent, lobes less than 1.5 mm wide. Inflorescences 6-30(-75)-flowered, simple or with 3 or fewer branches; bracts (at least lowermost 2) with 5 or more lobes; pedicel ascending-spreading, 1-3(-5) cm, ± puberulent; bracteoles not touching sepals, 4-20mm from flower, ± linear, 1-3mm, ± puberulent. Flowers: sepals blue to purple, rarely pink or white, nearly glabrous, lower sepal 8-18 × 4-8mm, lateral sepals 8-18 × 6-14 mm, spur 12-20 mm; petals of same color as sepals or whiter, lateral lobes 3-6mm, terminal lobes 5-8 × 2-4 mm, sinus 0.2-1 mm. Follicles 12-25 mm, puberulent.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Waste places, old homesites, drainage ditches, roadsides, and railroads
Elevation: 0-2000 m

Distribution

V3 631-distribution-map.gif

Introduced; B.C., Man., Ont., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.C., N.Dak., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., native to Europe and Africa, introduced in Asia and Australia.

Discussion

In many floras the names Consolida ambigua (Linnaeus) Ball & Heywood and Delphinium ambiguum Linnaeus have been misapplied to this taxon.

Consolida ajacis has escaped and become more or less naturalized in many temperate and subtropical parts of the world. It is by far the most commonly encountered species of Consolida in North America.

The Cherokee used Consolida ajacis medicinally in infusions to treat heart problems (D. E. Moerman 1986, as Delphinium ajacis).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Consolida ajacis"
Michael J. Warnock +
(Linnaeus) Schur +
Delphinium ajacis +
B.C. +, Man. +, Ont. +, Ala. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, native to Europe and Africa +  and introduced in Asia and Australia. +
0-2000 m +
Waste places, old homesites, drainage ditches, roadsides, and railroads +
Flowering summer. +
Verh. Mitth. Siebenbürg. Vereins Naturwiss. Hermannstadt +
Illustrated +  and Introduced +
Consolida ajacis +
Consolida +
species +