Discovery of <i>Delphinium anthriscifolium</i> (Ranunculaceae) on Jejudo Island, Korea

Seung Se CHOI; Keun-Hee HYUN; Seung Hoon LEE; In Chun Hwang; Myung-Ok MOON

doi:10.11110/kjpt.2025.55.2.114

Abstract

While preparing for a floristic study of Jejudo Island, we discovered the following unrecorded species: Delphinium anthriscifolium (Ranunculaceae). It is known to be native to Southern China, Northern Vietnam, and has been naturalized in Japan. However, on the basis of the findings of the Sixth National Natural Environment Survey, it has recently been established that this plant also grows along Andeok Valley on Jejudo Island in Korea. In this study, we present a description and photographs and indicate differences between Korean D. anthriscifolium and related species and provide a key to related taxa.

Keywords: island, Delphinium, D. anthriscifolium, Ranunculaceae, unrecorded taxa

INTRODUCTION

The genus Delphinium L., in the family Ranunculaceae Juss., consists of ca. 385–537 species, with two species on the Korean Peninsula (Wang and Warnock, 2001; Park, 2018; Luo et al., 2023). Geographically, they are mainly distributed in northern temperate regions, and a small number of taxa are known to be distributed in Africa’s montane regions (Kashin et al., 2021; Luo et al., 2023).

The genus Delphinium mostly consists of perennial herbs in the Ranunculaceae family, known for its colorful, spurred, and zygomorphic flowers. Leaves are typically palmately or pinnately divided. The inflorescences are usually racemes, with bisexual flowers bearing five petaloid sepals and four spurred petals. Fruits are follicles containing winged or sculptured seeds (Wang and Warnock, 2001; Park, 2018). The genus Delphinium is distinguished from similar genera (e.g., Aconitum L., Consolida (DC.) Gray, and Aconitella Spach) by five petaloid sepals (with a distinct spur on the upper sepal) and four petals, two of which have nectariferous spur and are inserted in the the upper sepal (Wang and Warnock, 2001; Park, 2018; Luo et al., 2023).

The first record of Delphinium on the Korean Peninsula was in 1909 when Léveillé reported Delphinium lycoctonifolium H. Lev. (= D. maackianum) as a new species based on specimen No. 26 collected from Gangwon-do by Urban Faurie (Léveillé, 1909; Shin and Kim, 2009). Nakai (1909) recorded the two species of D. grandiflorum L. and D. elatum L. (= D. maackianum Regel). Nakai (1911) additionally recorded D. maackianum, D. maackianum var. palmatum (H. Lév.) Nakai (= D. maackianum), and D. lycoctonifolium (= D. maackianum). Nakai (1914, 1937) described plants with the white sepals as D. maackianum var. album Nakai (= D. maackianum) and those with pubescent leaves as D. maackianum var. lasiophyllum Nakai (= D. maackianum). Later, Lee (1996a) treated D. maackianum var. lasiophyllum as D. maackianum f. lasiocarpum (Regal) Kitagawa.

Among Korea’s major botanical encyclopedia and flora literature (Flora of Korea), two native species D. grandiflorum and D. maackianum and one introduced species D. ornatum C. D. Bouché are recognized in the genus Delphinium (Lee, 1980; Lee, 1996a; Lee, 2007). Also, among the genera of vascular plants of Korea according to flora reports from the Korea editorial committee (Park, 2018), four species have been reported, with two native species D. grandiflorum and D. maackianum and two introduced species D. ornatum and D. ajacis L. recorded in the genus Delphinium.

In this study, we report D. anthriscifolium as an unrecorded species of Korean flora identified on Jejudo Island during the Sixth National Ecosystem Survey.

TAXONOMIC TREATMENT

Delphinium anthriscifolium Hance, J. Bot., 6: 207–208, 1868 (Figs. 1, 2).—TYPE: CHINA. Guangdong (Kwantung), “necnon prope rupem calcaream kai-kun-shek, secus eundem fluvium,” June 1867, Sampson, Hance No. 10125 (holotype K, isotypes BM, NY, P, JE, GH, observed only photos!).

Korean name: 들제비고깔 (Deul-je-bi-go-kkal).

Herbs, annual. Stems 40–80 cm tall, erect or ascending, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, simple or branched. Leaves pinnately divided nearly to midvein, 5–10 cm wide, base broadly cuneate; central lobe narrowly ovate, distally entire, apex long acuminate; ultimate lobules narrowly ovate or lanceolate. Inflorescences terminal, racemose, 2–12 cm long, 3–10-flowered, retrorsely puberulent; proximal bracts leaflike, distal ones lanceolate to lanceolate-subulate; pedicels 4–12 mm long; bracteoles proximally or near middle of pedicel, lanceolate-linear. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic; sepals 5, violet or purple, abaxially sparsely puberulent; spur subulate, 5–10 mm long, base 1.5–3 mm in diam.; lateral and lower sepals 5–10 mm long; petals 4, distally greatly widened, glabrous; upper petals spurred, enclosed in upper sepal; lower petals dolabriform or ovate, 2-lobed, base subtruncate or broadly cuneate; filaments basally dilated, glabrous; ovules sparsely puberulent or glabrous. Fruit follicles, aggregated, erect, sessile, narrowly oblong; beak terminal. Seeds subspherical, winged along ridges.

Habitat: This species grows together with Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich., Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne., Oxalis corymbosa DC., Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc., and Elymus tsukushiensis Honda near a valley in an evergreen forest.

Distribution: China (Native, Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, S Henan, Hubei, Hunan, S Jiangsu, Jiangxi, S Shanxi, NE and SE Yunnan, Zhejiang), Japan (introduced and naturalized in southern central Japan), Vietnam (native, prov. Bac Kan), Korea (Jeju-do).

Specimens examined: KOREA. Jeju-do: Seogwipo-si, Andeok Valley, 26 Apr 2025, M.O. Moon 25042701 (3 sheets, JNU).

Delphinium anthriscifolium was described as a new species by Hance (1868) based on type specimens (holotype K, #10125) collected from calcaream kai-kun-shek on Guangdong (Kwantung) in China by Sampson, T., in 1967.

Delphinium anthriscifolium is the only species within Delphinium that has pinnately divided leaves, which are divided into sections. The sepals and petals of D. anthriscifolium show a very wide range of morphological variation. Wang and Warnock (2001) reported that three varieties (D. anthriscifolium var. anthriscifolium, D. anthriscifolium var. savatieri (Franchet) Munz, and D. anthriscifolium var. majus Pampanini) were recorded in China. The taxon discovered on Jejudo Island during this fieldtrip is D. anthriscifolium var. anthriscifolium, considering the characteristics of the spurs of the sepals and the lower petals.

Delphinium anthriscifolium is similar to D. grandiflorum in Korea but its leaves are pinnately divided compared to those of D. grandiflorum (pinnately divided vs. palmately divided). A comparison with four existing species recorded in Korea is presented in Table 1.

Delphinium anthriscifolium grows in small groups (approximately 30 plants) near Andeok Valley on Jejudo Island. This plant grows together with Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich., Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne., Oxalis corymbosa DC., Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc., Elymus tsukushiensis, Clematis apiifolia DC., Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm., and Galium spurium L., near a valley in an evergreen forest. In Andeok Valley, southern plants such as Corydalis incisa (Thunb.) Pers., Ficus thunbergii Maxim., Hedera rhombea (Miq.) Bean, and Psilotum nudum (L.) P. Beauv. grow, with these plants commonly distributed in the southern parts of China and Japan. Andeok Valley can be said to be an area with an environment where D. anthriscifolium grows natively or as a naturalized plant, also containing plants with similar distributions.

The new Korean name given is ‘Deul-je-bi-go-kkal’ based on the growth habitat on Jejudo Island.

The following key to the related Korean Delphinium taxa has been prepared for all species on the Korean Peninsula.

Key to the species of Delphinium in Korea

1. Leaves pinnately divided ·· D. anthriscifolium 들제비고깔
1. Leaves palmately divided.
- 2. Leaf lobes divided to slightly below middle, ultimate lobules oval ·············· D. maackianum 큰제비고깔
- 2. Leaf lobes deeply and finely divided, ultimate lobules linear to linear-lanceolate.
  - 3. Stems glabrous to sparsely puberulent ························································· D. ajacis 비연초
  - 3. Stem puberulent.
    
    4. Leaf primary lobes rhombic, 3–6 mm wide ····························· D. grandiflorum 제비고깔
    
    4. Leaf primary lobes linear, 2–3 mm wide ··································· D. ornatum 참제비고깔

NOTES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by a grant from the Sixth National Ecosystem Survey of the National Institute of Ecology (NIE) funded by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) of the Republic of Korea (NIE-A-2025-01) and by the Nationwide Survey of Non-Native Species in Korea (NIE-A-2025-12).

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Fig. 1

Delphinium anthriscifolium on Jejudo Island of Korea: A. Habitat. B. Seeds C. Inflorescence. D. Flower (D-1–5: sepals, D-6–7: upper petals, D-8–9: lower petals, D-10: stamens and pistils). E. Leaves. F. Lower part of leaves. G. Infructescences (photo by M.O. Moon).

Fig. 2

Two of the voucher specimens of Delphinium anthriscifolium collected from Andeok Valley on Jejudo Island (photo by M.O. Moon).

Table 1

Comparison of several major characteristics of Delphinium in Korea.

Characteristic	D. ajacis^a	D. grandiflorum^b	D. maackianum^b	D. ornatum	D. anthriscifolium
Life form	Annual	Perennial	Perennial	Perennial	Annual
Leaf shape	Palmately divided, linear lobes	Palmately divided, rhombic-linear lobes	Palmately divided	Palmately divided, linear lobes	Pinnately divided
Inflorescence	Simple racemose, 6–30(−75)-flowered	Racemose, 3–10-flowered	Loose racemose, 16–25-flowered	Loose racemose	Racemose, 3–10-flowered
Flower color	Blue, violet, pink, white	Blue to purple-blue	Dark blue to violet	Blue to violet	Violet to purple
Spur	Slender, 12–20 mm	Straight or slightly recurved, 15–22 mm	Slender and curved	Slender, 10–15 mm	Straight or slightly recurved, 5–10 mm
Distribution	Native to Europe and Africa, introduced in Asia and America	China, Mongolia, Siberia, Korea	Korea, NE China, Russian Far East	Europe	Central & Southern China, Japan
Habitat	Cultivated, dry fields	Grassy slopes, forests	Moist slopes, forest margins	Introduced, Steppe, meadow habitats	Rocky or limestone hills near streams

Based on

^a Warnck (1997),

^b Park (2018), and our own measurements.

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Discovery of Delphinium anthriscifolium (Ranunculaceae) on Jejudo Island, Korea