Aquilegia chrysantha |
Aquilegia coerulea |
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golden columbine |
Colorado blue columbine |
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Stems | 30-120 cm. |
15-80 cm. |
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Basal leaves | 2-3x-ternately compound, 9-45 cm, much shorter than stems; leaflets green adaxially, to 11-55 mm, not viscid; primary petiolules 20-50 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or distally pilose. |
(1-)2(-3)×-ternately compound, 9-37 cm, much shorter than stems; leaflets green adaxially, to 13-42(-61) mm, not viscid; primary petiolules (10-)20-70 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or occasionally pilose. |
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Flowers | erect; sepals perpendicular to floral axis, yellow, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 20-36 × 5-10 mm, apex narrowly acute or acuminate; petals: spurs yellow, straight, ± parallel or divergent, 42-65 mm, slender, evenly tapered from base, blades yellow, oblong, 13-23 × 6-15 mm; stamens 12-25 mm. |
erect; sepals perpendicular to floral axis, white, blue, or sometimes pink, elliptic-ovate to lance-ovate, 26-51 × 8-23 mm, apex obtuse to acute or acuminate; petals: spurs white, blue, or sometimes pink, straight, ± parallel or divergent, 28-72 mm, slender, evenly tapered from base, blades white, oblong or spatulate, 13-28 × 5-14 mm; stamens 13-24 mm. |
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Follicles | 18-30 mm; beak 10-18 mm. |
20-30 mm; beak 8-12 mm. |
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Aquilegia chrysantha |
Aquilegia coerulea |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Sep). | |||||||||||||
Habitat | Damp places in canyons | |||||||||||||
Elevation | 1000-3500 m (3300-11500 ft) | |||||||||||||
Distribution |
AZ; CO; NM; TX; UT; nw Mexico
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AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; UT; WY; Mexico
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Discussion | Colorado populations supposedly having spurs only 35-40 mm have been called Aquilegia chrysantha var. rydbergii. Material seen from this area falls within the normal range of variation of the species. Populations intermediate between A. chrysantha and A. coerulea var. pinetorum occur in northern Arizona (M. Butterwick et al. 1991). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Varieties 4 (4 in the flora). Aquilegia coerulea shows considerable geographic variation in flower color and in size of different floral organs, reflecting adaptation to different pollinators in different parts of its range (R. B. Miller 1981). Four weakly differentiated varieties are recognized. Aquilegia coerulea var. coerulea and A. coerulea var. ochroleuca intergrade to some extent; northwestern populations of var. coerulea often contain individuals with pale flowers, and eastern populations of var. ochroleuca often contain blue-flowered plants. The Gosivte tribe chewed the seeds of Aquilegia coerulea or used an infusion made from the roots to treat abdominal pains or as a panacea (D. E. Moerman 1986). Most authors have spelled the epithet "caerulea"; "coerulea" is the original spelling. Columbine (as Aquilegia caerulea) is the state flower of Colorado. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. | ||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Aquilegia | Ranunculaceae > Aquilegia | ||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||
Synonyms | A. chrysantha var. rydbergii | |||||||||||||
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 621. (1873) | E. James: Account Exped. Pittsburgh 2: 15. (1823) | ||||||||||||
Web links |