Delphinium ajacis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440160380bd3684446874 |
| Scientific name | Delphinium ajacis |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 531 (1753) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Delphinium ajacis (L.) is widely cultivated as an ornamental garden plant. Nurseries sell potted plants for mixed borders, cottage‑garden plantings, and seasonal bedding schemes. The species is also harvested for cut‑flower arrangements; stems bearing tall, dense spikes of blue‑purple florets are marketed by florists and wholesalers under the trade name “larkspur”. Commercial catalogs and horticultural societies such as the Royal Horticultural Society list the species in their plant‑finder databases, indicating its presence in the ornamental trade. The product forms are whole potted plants and fresh cut stems harvested just before full bloom.
Scientific/model use:
Molecular phylogenetic studies of the genus Delphinium have incorporated D. ajacis to provide nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence data that inform the classification of Ranunculaceae; these sequences are deposited in public nucleotide databases such as GenBank. The taxon serves as a parental line in horticultural breeding programmes aimed at improving spike architecture, flower colour intensity, and vase life of cultivated delphiniums. The diterpenoid alkaloid ajacine was first isolated from D. ajacis; the compound is employed as a certified reference standard in high‑performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas‑chromatography‑mass spectrometry (GC‑MS) methods for alkaloid quantification. Additionally, research on anthocyanin biosynthesis in D. ajacis has contributed to the understanding of floral pigmentation pathways in the family.
Properties relevant to use:
Plants typically reach 0.5–1.5 m in height, producing erect, sturdy stems that support long inflorescences. Each spike commonly comprises 20–80 closely spaced florets, each bearing five petaloid sepals that give the characteristic colour. Florets contain anthocyanins that confer a stable blue‑to‑purple coloration, a key ornamental trait. The stems are sufficiently robust to survive cutting and to maintain structural integrity for several days in vase conditions, making the species suitable for cut‑flower production.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Delphinium ajacis is not listed as threatened in major conservation databases; commercial production relies on cultivated seed rather than wild collection. Nursery propagation follows standard horticultural practices with modest inputs of water and fertilizer, and the species shows low susceptibility to major pests, supporting sustainable production. Integrated pest‑management (IPM) strategies are commonly employed to minimise chemical inputs. International trade of ornamental delphiniums complies with standard phytosanitary regulations, and the species is freely exchanged among horticultural markets worldwide.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Delphinium ajacis var. orientale | (Gay) Finet & Gagnep. | Bull. Soc. Bot. France 51: 467 1904 |
| Ceratostanthus ajacis | Schur | Enum. Pl. Transsilv. : 30 (1866) |
| Consolida ajacis | (L.) Schur | Verh. Mitth. Siebenbürg. Vereins Naturwiss. Hermannstadt 4(3): 47 (1853) |
| Consolida gayana | (Wilmott) M.Laínz | Anales Inst. Forest. Invest. 12: 6 (1967) |
| Consolida orientalis | Schrödinger | Abh. K. K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 4(5): 62 (1909) |
| Delphinium addendum | W.R.McNab | Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinburgh 9: 335 (1868) |
| Delphinium ajacis f. alba | R.H.Cheney | Rhodora 27: 142 (1925) |
| Delphinium ambiguum | Mill. | Gard. Dict., ed. 8. n. 3. 1768 [16 Apr 1768] |
| Delphinium azureum | Newb. | in Pacif. Rail. Rep. vi. 65. |
| Delphinium gayanum | Wilmott | J. Bot. 62: 26 (1924) |
| Delphinium orientale | J.Gay | Actes Soc. Linn. Bordeaux 1: 182. 1840 |
| Delphinium ornatum | C.D.Bouché | Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 1: 26 (1843) |
| Delphinium pauciflorum | D.Don | Prodr. Fl. Nepal. : 196 (1825) |
| Delphinium simplex | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 375 (1796) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Arabic | عايق |
| Arabic | عايق عصوي |
| Arabic | عشبة القمل |
| Finnish | tarhakukonkannus |
| Chinese | 飞燕草 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds at 20°C, expecting germination within 3 months without further temperature treatment. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
Macaronesia
- Azores
- Canary Islands
- Madeira
-
Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Libya
- Morocco
-
Macaronesia
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Arabian Peninsula
- Oman
- Saudi Arabia
-
Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
-
China
- Tibet
-
Eastern Asia
- Korea
-
Middle Asia
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
-
Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- East Aegean Islands
- Iran
- Lebanon-Syria
- Turkey
-
Arabian Peninsula
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Pakistan
- West Himalaya
-
Indo-China
- Vietnam
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Australasia click to expand
-
Australia
- New South Wales
- South Australia
- Western Australia
-
New Zealand
- New Zealand North
- New Zealand South
-
Australia
-
Europe click to expand
-
Middle Europe
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
-
Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
-
Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Kriti
- Romania
- Sicilia
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
-
Southwestern Europe
- Corse
- France
-
Middle Europe
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Eastern Canada
- Ontario
-
Mexico
- Mexico Southwest
-
North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
-
Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
-
Northwestern U.S.A.
- Montana
-
South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
- Texas
-
Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
-
Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
-
Western Canada
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
-
Eastern Canada
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Central America
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
-
Central America
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000639671 |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 430 |
| Flora of Alabama | 3041 |
| Canadensys | 19603 |
| Tropicos | 27100085 |
| INPN | 94567 |
| Flora of Italy | 1036 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77254-2 |
| IPNI | 77254-2 |
| GBIF | 3033833 |
| Elurikkus | 4251 |
| USDA GRIN | 317201 |
| CMAUP | NPO16847 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |