Dwarf Larkspur

Description

Delphinium tricorne, known by the common name dwarf larkspur, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is the most common Delphinium found. It is found in rich mesic forests, often over calcareous rocks. It a perennial that sends up long, stringy thin stems with few leaves and bears attractive flowers in shades of blue. The diterpenoid alkaloids lycoctonine and tricornine (otherwise known as lycoctonine-18-O-acetate) have been isolated from D. tricorne. The toxicology and pharmacology of lycoctonine have been quite well studied, but there is only limited information available concerning the biological properties of tricornine. Both alkaloids have neuro-muscular blocking properties, and D. tricorne should be treated as a potentially poisonous plant. This species has long been regarded as poisonous to livestock.