Thin-petal Larkspur (Delphinium lineapetalum)

Leavenworth Ski Hill, Wenatchee National Forest, 5/2017.

The monkshood we posted recently was named Aconitum delphinifolium, as its leaves resembled that of a delphinium, or Larkspur. At least a dozen larkspur species are found in the northwest, many of which contain delphinine, a toxic alkaloid that causes abdominal pain, nausea, and eventually death, not only in humans, but in cattle as well.  We found a smattering of these, both lavender and white, on the ski hill outside Leavenworth, WA.  This uncommon variety only grows in Washington, primarily in the Wenatchee Mountains where we found these.

Leavenworth Ski Hill, Wenatchee National Forest, 5/2017.