Larkspur

Description

Consolida is a genus of about 40 species of annual flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native to western Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia. The common name, larkspur, referring to the spur-shaped calyx, is shared with the closely related perennial delphinium. Consolida differs from Delphinium in the flower structure, with the flowers in an open, loose, often branched spike, rather than the dense column of flowers found in Delphinium, and in the fruit, which comprises a single follicle, instead of a cluster of several together. It is a popular garden plant and cut flower, grown from seed every year, with numerous cultivars in shades of pink, blue, purple and white. In seed catalogues it is usually described as "larkspur", with "delphinium" reserved for its perennial relative. All parts of the plant are toxic to humans, especially the seeds.