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American columbine, ancolie du Canada, Canadian columbine, Colorado columbine, red columbine, wild columbine

desert columbine

Stems

15-90 cm.

40-100 cm.

Basal leaves

2x-ternately compound, 7-30 cm, much shorter than stems;

leaflets green adaxially, 17-52 mm, not viscid;

primary petiolules 17-93 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or pilose, sometimes somewhat viscid.

2-3x-ternately compound, 9-45 cm, much shorter than stems;

leaflets to 11-38 mm, sometimes viscid, glaucous on both surfaces;

primary petiolules 23-80 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or pilose.

Flowers

pendent;

sepals divergent from floral axis, red or apex green, lance-ovate to oblong-ovate, 8-18 × 3-8 mm, apex broadly acute to acuminate;

petals: spurs red, straight, ± parallel to divergent, 13-25 mm, stout (at least proximally), abruptly narrowed near middle, blades pale yellow or yellow-green, oblong to rounded, 5-9 × 4-8 mm;

stamens 15-23 mm.

nodding;

sepals perpendicular to floral axis, red (or sometimes partly yellow or green), lanceolate to elliptic, 10-20 × 4-8 mm, apex acuminate or acute;

petals: spurs red or pink, straight, ± parallel, 12-25(-30) mm, rather stout, usually abruptly narrowed near middle, blades yellow, oblong or rounded, 2-5 × 4-7 mm;

stamens 12-16 mm.

Follicles

15-31 mm;

beak 10-18 mm.

14-25 mm;

beak 9-12 mm.

2n

= 14.

Aquilegia canadensis

Aquilegia shockleyi

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (Mar–Jun). Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Aug).
Habitat Shaded or open woods, often around cliffs, rock outcrops, and forest edges Moist places in dry woodlands and shrublands
Elevation 0-1600 m (0-5200 ft) 1200-2700 m (3900-8900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; ON; QC; SK
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from FNA
CA; NV
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Discussion

P. A. Munz divided this species into five varieties, based on size of the plants, sepals, and leaflets and whether the leaves are 2-3×-ternately compound. The variation in size of these organs is not discontinuous or even bimodal, however, and I have not seen any material with 3×-ternately compound leaves. For this reason, no varieties are recognized here. The name Aquilegia canadensis var. hybrida Hooker has been misapplied to this species; the type specimen actually belongs to A. brevistyla (B. Boivin 1953).

Aquilegia canadensis has also been reported from New Brunswick, but the specimen has been destroyed and the species has never been recollected in the province.

Native Americans prepare infusions from various parts of plants of Aquilegia canadensis to treat heart trouble, kidney problems, headaches, bladder problems, and fever, and as a wash for poison ivy; pulverized seeds were used as love charms; and a compound was used to detect bewitchment (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Aquilegia Ranunculaceae > Aquilegia
Sibling taxa
A. barnebyi, A. brevistyla, A. chaplinei, A. chrysantha, A. coerulea, A. desertorum, A. elegantula, A. eximia, A. flavescens, A. formosa, A. hinckleyana, A. jonesii, A. laramiensis, A. longissima, A. micrantha, A. pubescens, A. saximontana, A. scopulorum, A. shockleyi, A. vulgaris
A. barnebyi, A. brevistyla, A. canadensis, A. chaplinei, A. chrysantha, A. coerulea, A. desertorum, A. elegantula, A. eximia, A. flavescens, A. formosa, A. hinckleyana, A. jonesii, A. laramiensis, A. longissima, A. micrantha, A. pubescens, A. saximontana, A. scopulorum, A. vulgaris
Synonyms A. australis, A. canadensis var. australis, A. canadensis var. coccinea, A. canadensis var. eminens, A. canadensis var. latiuscula, A. coccinea A. formosa var. caelifax, A. mohavensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 533-534. (1753) Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 193-194. (1905)
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