Delphinium is a genus of about 300 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa.All members of the genus Delphinium are toxic to humans and livestock. The common name "larkspur" is shared between perennial Delphinium species and annual species of the genus Consolida. Molecular data show that Consolida, as well as another segregate genus, Aconitella, are both embedded in Delphinium.The genus name Delphinium derives from the Ancient Greek word δελφίνιον (delphínion), meaning "larkspur". The name "delphinium" also derives from the Latin for "dolphin", referring to the shape of the nectary.