Delphinium himalayae

Description: — Perennial herbs. Stems erect, 25 – 80 cm tall, simple, rarely branched above middle, more or less strigose throughout, more densely so in the inflorescence. Radical leaf usually 1, long petiolate, often absent at anthesis; petiole 20 – 37 cm long; blade orbicular-cordate, 8 – 11 cm long, 9 – 12 cm broad, deeply 7 – 9 - lobed to ca. 1 cm from the base, lobes further 3 – 5 - lobuled, lobules dentate, acute, strigose on both surfaces. Cauline leaves 2 – 4; proximal one similar to radical leaves, middle and distal ones smaller, (3 –) 5 - lobed, distal one shortly petiolate. Inflorescence a terminal simple secund raceme, 5 – 18 cm long, often with shorter long peduncled racemes in axils of upper leaves, 2 – 9 flowers per raceme; rachis straight, densely retrorsely strigose; bracts linear, lanceolate or often 3 - lobed, 1 – 1.8 cm long, strigose; pedicels 1.5 – 3 cm long, erect, densely retrorsely strigose; bracteoles subtending the flower, green with violetish base, oblong-linear, 8 – 11 mm long, 1.5 – 3 mm broad, strigose. Flowers 2 – 3 cm in diameter; sepals purplish blue, strigose, the upper sepal widely ovate, 1.6 – 2.2 cm long, 1.4 – 1.8 cm broad, obtuse, spur 2 – 2.5 cm long, 1.2 – 1.4 times as long as sepal, often suberect or slightly curved downward, apically often 2 - lobed, lateral and lower sepals similar to the upper one but a little longer, 1.7 – 2.3 cm long; petals black, orbicular-rhombic, 1.6 – 1.9 cm long, 1.6 – 2 cm broad, obtuse, minutely pubescent on both sides, sparsely bristly at apex; staminodes black, clawed, blade ca. 9 mm long, ca. 4 mm broad, 2 - sect, margins white strigose, center yellowish barbate; stamens glabrous or rarely sparsely pubescent. Carpels 3, densely strigose.