FNA: Aquilegia formosa vs. Aquilegia

Distribution

AK; CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; YT; Mexico

Circumboreal

Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The type specimen of Aquilegia formosa var. fosteri S. L. Welsh, described from southwestern Utah, has viscid leaves with short petiolules and crowded leaflets, erect, dark red flowers with slender, evenly tapering spurs, and long (19 mm) stamens. Aside from the red sepals and spurs, it has little in common with A. formosa and its relatives. The crowded leaflets, erect flowers, and evenly tapering spurs are reminiscent of A. scopulorum, and it could be a hybrid involving that species, but it is not clear what the other parent might be. The taxonomy of Aquilegia in southwestern Utah is complex, with six species known and several hybrid combinations apparently formed; satisfactory disposition of this name will require further work in the area.

Native Americans used Aquilegia formosa for various purposes: as a charm to gain the affections of men or to retain wealth and possessions; medicinally, seeds were chewed to alleviate stomach aches, and leaves were chewed or used in infusions to treat coughs, colds, and sore throats (D. E. Moerman 1986, varieties not indicated).

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

Species ca. 70 (21 in the flora).

Species of Aquilegia are polymorphic and difficult to define adequately. Some of the variability is because of introgressive hybridization. Even distantly related species of columbine are often freely interfertile, and many cases of natural hybridization and introgression are known from North America. Only the most important are mentioned below. In arid areas Aquilegia species tend to form small populations often completely isolated from one another. This leads to local fixation of genes and therefore increased variability in species such as A. micrantha and A. desertorum. In addition, populations with spurless petals are occasionally found in many species.

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

Key

1. Blades of petals 3–6 mm; sepals 14–26 mm, 0.9–1.3 times as long as spurs.	var. formosa
1. Blades of petals 0–3 mm; sepals 10–20 mm, 0.7–1.1 times as long as spurs.	→ 2
2. Stems and petioles glabrous or sparingly pilose, not at all viscid.	var. truncata
2. Stems and petioles densely pubescent, somewhat viscid.	var. hypolasia

1. Spurs hooked, 3-22 mm; sepals white or blue.	→ 2
1. Spurs straight or nearly so (sometimes tips incurved in A. flavescens), 8-180 mm; sepals blue, white, cream, yellow, pink, or red (A. flavescens with yellow or pink sepals).	→ 5
2. Spurs 14-22 mm; introduced species, at low elevations (0-1500 m).	A. vulgaris
2. Spurs 3-10 mm; native, at high elevations or high latitudes.	→ 3
3. Basal leaves much shorter than stems.	A. brevistyla
3. Basal leaves about as long as stems.	→ 4
4. Sepals and spurs white or nearly so; Wyoming.	A. laramiensis
4. Sepals and spurs blue; Colorado.	A. saximontana
5. Sepals and spurs blue, white, cream, reddish purple, or occasionally pink (if pink then with no trace of yellow); flowers usually erect (sometimes nodding in A. micrantha); spurs slender (stout at least proximally in A. jonesii), evenly tapered from base.	→ 6
5. Sepals and spurs yellow, pink and yellow, or red; flowers erect or nodding; spur shape various.	→ 9
6. Leaflets viscid.	A. micrantha
6. Leaflets not viscid.	→ 7
7. Spurs 8-15 mm.	A. jonesii
7. Spurs 25-70(-72) mm.	→ 8
8. Leaflets glaucous on both sides, 5-14 mm, crowded (primary petiolules 3-15 mm); spurs 25-40 mm.	A. scopulorum
8. Leaflets green adaxially, 13-42(-61) mm, not crowded, primary petiolules (10-)20-70 mm; spurs 28-72 mm.	A. coerulea
9. Sepals red (at least proximally); spurs red (red proximally, then pink in A. shockleyi), stout (at least proximally), abruptly narrowed near middle, 12-32 mm; flowers nodding or pendent.	→ 10
9. Sepals and spurs yellow or pink; spurs slender (except for A. flavescens and A. barnebyi), evenly tapered from base (sometimes abruptly narrowed near middle in A. flavescens and A. micrantha), 10-180 mm; flowers usually erect, sometimes nodding.	→ 15
10. Sepals perpendicular to floral axis; petal blades 0-6 mm.	→ 11
10. Sepals parallel to or divergent from floral axis; petal blades 4-12 mm.	→ 13
11. Mouth of spur cut obliquely backward; stamens 17-30 mm.	A. eximia
11. Mouth of spur truncate or with short blade; stamens 12-17 mm.	→ 12
12. Leaflets glaucous on both sides; petal blades 2-5 mm.	A. shockleyi
12. Leaflets green adaxially; petal blades 0-6 mm.	A. formosa
13. Sepals red proximally, yellow-green distally, not much longer than petal blades; stamens 8-14 mm.	A. elegantula
13. Sepals red or apex green or yellow-green, about 2 times length of petal blades; stamens 14-23 mm.	→ 14
14. Blades of petals pale yellow or yellow-green; basal leaves 2×-ternately compound, leaflets to 17-52 mm; e North America, w to c Texas.	A. canadensis
14. Blades of petals yellow or red and yellow; basal leaves 2-3×-ternately compound, leaflets to 9-26(-32) mm; Arizona, New Mexico, Utah.	A. desertorum
15. Spurs 42-180 mm.	→ 16
15. Spurs 10-40 mm.	→ 18
16. Spurs 72-180 mm; petal blades spatulate.	A. longissima
16. Spurs 42-70 mm; petal blades oblong, not much broadened distally.	→ 17
17. Sepals 14-18 mm wide.	A. hinckleyana
17. Sepals 5-10 mm wide.	A. chrysantha
18. Spurs yellow, stout, ± incurved, 10-18 mm; flowers nodding.	A. flavescens
18. Spurs yellow to pink or cream, slender, straight, 15-40 mm; flowers erect to nodding.	→ 19
19. Beak 15-18 mm; sepals 9-19 mm, yellow; se New Mexico, w Texas.	A. chaplinei
19. Beak 8-12 mm; sepals not as above: either cream or pink or if yellow, then (15-)20-25 mm; Colorado, Arizona to California.	→ 20
20. Sepals (15-)20-25 mm, petal blades 8-17 mm, spurs 25-40 mm; flowers erect; California.	A. pubescens
20. Sepals 8-20 mm, petal blades 6-10 mm, spurs 14-30 mm; flowers nodding or erect; Colorado, Arizona, Utah.	→ 21
21. Leaflets viscid, green adaxially.	A. micrantha
21. Leaflets not viscid, glaucous on both surfaces.	A. barnebyi