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shooting-star columbine, western red columbine

long-spur columbine

Stems

10-60 cm.

25-90 cm.

Basal leaves

2x-ternately compound, 15-30 cm, usually shorter than stems;

leaflets green adaxially, to 11-33 mm, not viscid;

primary petiolules 17-58 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or pilose.

3x-ternately compound, 20-45 cm, usually shorter than stems;

leaflets green adaxially, to 20-40 mm, not viscid;

primary petiolules 28-82 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or sometimes pilose.

Flowers

pendent;

sepals erect, red proximally, yellow-green distally, elliptic-ovate, 7-11 × 4-5 mm, apex rounded to acute;

petals: spurs red, straight, ± parallel, 16-23 mm, stout (at least proximally), abruptly narrowed near middle, blades yellow-green, oblong or rounded, 6-8 × 3-4 mm;

stamens 8-14 mm.

erect;

sepals perpendicular to floral axis, pale yellow, lanceolate, 25-40 × 6-11 mm, apex narrowly acute or acuminate;

petals: spurs pale yellow, straight, ± parallel, 72-180 mm, very slender, evenly tapered from base, blades pale yellow, spatulate, 15-30 × 7-11 mm;

stamens 20-33 mm.

Follicles

13-20 mm;

beak 13-15 mm.

24-31 mm;

beak 16-26 mm.

Aquilegia elegantula

Aquilegia longissima

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (May–Jul). Flowering summer (Jul–Sep).
Habitat Moist coniferous forests, especially along streams Near streams or in damp rocky places in canyons
Elevation 1500-3500 m (4900-11500 ft) 1370-1520 m (4500-5000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; TX; ne Mexico
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

R. B. Miller (1985) suggested that Arizona reports of Aquilegia longissima are based on "unusually long-spurred individuals of A. chrysantha," but it is not clear on what characters he based his interpretation. Specimens from Arizona's Baboquivari Mountains have spurs 8-10 cm long, far outside the range of A. chrysantha, and seem correctly identified as A. longissima.

(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. canadensis, A. chaplinei, A. chrysantha, A. coerulea, A. desertorum, 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. micrantha, A. pubescens, A. saximontana, A. scopulorum, A. shockleyi, A. vulgaris
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 4: 14-15. (1899) A. Gray ex S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 317-318. (1882)
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