The Mountain Larkspur

A striking mountain species with blue-violet flowers arranged in long racemes, it grows in dry grasslands, open oak woods and calcareous clearings between 300 and 1700 m, especially in the central Apennines; all parts are toxic, as is common in the Ranunculaceae. The name Delphinium refers to the dolphin, due to the shape of the flower spur; this resemblance inspired various Mediterranean legends in which the dolphin transforms into a blue flower as a symbol of love or divine salvation. In the past, some species of the genus were used to produce blue-violet dyes and in traditional herbal medicine (diuretic, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory), although such uses are now abandoned due to the high toxicity of their alkaloids.