Aquilegia vulgaris
Aquilegia coerulea
ancolie vulgaire, European columbine
Colorado blue columbine
30-72 cm.
15-80 cm.
2x-ternately compound, 10-30 cm, much shorter than stems;
leaflets green adaxially, to 15-47 mm, not viscid;
primary petiolules 22-60 mm (leaflets not crowded), pilose or rarely glabrous.
(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.
nodding;
sepals divergent from or perpendicular to floral axis, mostly blue or purple, lance-ovate, (10-)15-25 × 8-12 mm, apex broadly acute or obtuse;
petals: spurs mostly blue or purple, hooked, 14-22 mm, stout, evenly tapered from base, blades mostly blue or purple, oblong, 10-13 × 6-10 mm;
stamens 9-13 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.
15-25 mm;
beak 7-15 mm.
20-30 mm;
beak 8-12 mm.
= 14 (Europe).
Aquilegia vulgaris
Aquilegia coerulea
Aquilegia vulgaris is cultivated as an ornamental and occasionally escapes into disturbed habitats. Most plants have blue or purple flowers (the wild type), but horticultural races with white or reddish flowers sometimes become established. Many cultivated columbines are derived from hybrids between A. vulgaris and related species. Some of our escaped plants are probably descended from such hybrids.
(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.)
1. Petal blades 13–17 mm. | var. alpina |
1. Petal blades 19–28 mm. | → 2 |
2. Sepals medium to deep blue. | var. coerulea |
2. Sepals white, pale blue, or pink. | → 3 |
3. Spurs 36–54 mm (means of populations 40–48 mm); stamens 13–18 mm; Utah to Nevada, Montana. | var. ochroleuca |
3. Spurs 45–72 mm (means of populations 50–58 mm); stamens 18–24 mm; Utah, Arizona. | var. pinetorum |
BC
WA
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