Baker's Larkspur
See photo info
Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office
Species Account
BAKER'S LARKSPUR
(Delphinium bakeri)
CLASSIFICATION: Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register notice 65:4156; June 19, 1997)
CRITICAL HABITAT: Designated in Federal Register notice 68:12834; March 18, 2003. pdf
1828 acres within two units located in Marin and Sonoma counties.
RECOVERY PLAN: Under development.
DESCRIPTION:
Baker's larkspur (Delphinium bakeri), a perennial herb in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It grows from a thickened, tuber-like, fleshy cluster of roots, to a height of 26 inches. The leaves occur primarily along the upper third of the stem and are green at the time the plant flowers. See Hickman (1993) in General Information about California Plants, below, for a detailed description.
Flowers are irregularly shaped. The five sepals are conspicuous, bright dark blue or purplish, with the rear sepal elongated into a spur. The inconspicuous petals occur in two pairs. The lower pair is oblong and blue-purple, the upper pair oblique and white. Seeds are produced in several dry, many-seeded fruits which split open at maturity on only one side. The species flowers from April through May.
DISTRIBUTION:
Baker's larkspur grows on decomposed shale within coastal scrub plant community. Historically, it was known from Coleman Valley in Sonoma County and from near Tomales in Marin County. Currently, the one known remaining population.
THREATS:
Habitat conversion, grazing, and/or roadside maintenance activities have extirpated occurrences in Marin and Sonoma counties. The only known remaining population is found on a steep road bank in Marin County that is subject to road work, over-collection, and sheep grazing. It was damaged by roadwork in 2004. Whether it will survive is unknown.
Because of its extreme range restriction and small population size, the plant is also vulnerable to extinction from random events, such as fire or insect outbreaks.
STATE & CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY STATUS:
This species was listed as rare by the California Department of Fish and Game in November 1978. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).
REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 1997. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Two Larkspurs From Coastal Northern California. Portland, OR.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 2003. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Designation of Critical Habitat for Two Larkspurs From Coastal Northern California. Portland, OR.
General Information about California Plants
Credits: Photo of Baker's larkspur by Doreen L. Smith Calphoto ID: 0000 0000 0102 0605
Prepared by Endangered
Species Div., Sacramento Fish & Wildlife
Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service
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