''Delphinium bakeri'', or Baker's larkspur, is a species of
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
in the buttercup family,
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.
The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium' ...
. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
in the United States, where it is a federally listed
endangered species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
. It is known in the wild from one remaining occurrence near
Salmon Creek in
Sonoma County
Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...
, where only seven plants remained .
''D. bakeri'' grows from a thickened, tuber-like, fleshy cluster of roots, to a height of . The leaves occur primarily along the upper third of the stem and are green at the time the plant flowers.
The flowers are irregularly shaped. It has five conspicuous
sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...
s, bright dark blue or purplish, with the rear sepal elongated into a
spur
A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to back ...
. The inconspicuous
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s occur in two pairs. The lower pair is oblong and blue-purple, the upper pair oblique and white.
Seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
s are produced in several dry, many-seeded
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
s that split open at maturity on only one side. The species flowers from April through May.
Baker's larkspur grows on decomposed
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...
within coastal scrub plant community. Its range historically included the
Point Reyes Peninsula
Point Reyes (, meaning "Point of the Kings") is a prominent cape and popular Northern California tourist destination on the Pacific coast. Located in Marin County, it is approximately west-northwest of San Francisco. The term is often applied ...
and areas between
Camp Meeker
Camp Meeker is an unincorporated community, Sonoma County, United States, located on the Bohemian Highway, between Occidental and Monte Rio. It has approximately 350 homes on properties ranging from a couple thousand square feet to many acres, ...
and
Petaluma, California
Petaluma (Miwok languages, Miwok: ''Péta Lúuma'') is a city in Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, California, located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population was 59,776 a ...
.
Near-extinction incidents caused by road crews
In July 2002, county-hired
road crews mowing
weeds in the critical habitat area cut down 30 to 50 Baker's larkspurs. Scientists initially believed the action may have caused the species' extinction.
In October 2004, the plant was nearly made extinct in earnest by road workers using
heavy machinery
Heavy equipment or heavy machinery refers to heavy-duty vehicles specially designed to execute construction tasks, most frequently involving earthwork operations or other large construction tasks. ''Heavy equipment'' usually comprises five e ...
to unclog a roadside drain. The last remaining population of about 100 plants was reduced to five individuals.
[Associated Press]
Rare plant nearly wiped out by work crews.
February 4, 2005.
See also
*
Milo Samuel Baker
References
External links
*
Jepson Manual Treatment
*US Fish & Wildlife News Release
March 18, 2003.
Photo gallery
bakeri
Endemic flora of California
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of Sonoma County, California
Endemic flora of the San Francisco Bay Area
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