Aquilegia elegantula
Encyclopedia
Aquilegia elegantula is a species of columbine
known by the common name western red columbine. It is native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Four Corners states, and northern Mexico, where it grows in moist areas in mountain coniferous forests
. It is a rhizomatous
perennial herb growing 10 t 60 centimeters tall. The green leaf blades are borne on long, slender petioles
and divided into three leaflets which each have rounded lobes along the front edges. The flower has five long petals up to 3 centimeters in length including their elongated, knob-tipped spurs. The petals are bright red in the spurs and lighten to yellow-green or orange at the tips. Between the petals are the oval-shaped sepal
s, which are reddish to yellowish in color and are held parallel to the petals. Flowers often droop such that the mouth is toward the ground and the spurs point up; the flowers are pollinated by the Broad-tailed Hummingbird
(Selasphorus platycercus).
Aquilegia
Aquilegia is a genus of about 60-70 species of perennial plants that are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher altitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere, known for the spurred petals of their flowers.-Etymology:The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle , because...
known by the common name western red columbine. It is native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Four Corners states, and northern Mexico, where it grows in moist areas in mountain coniferous forests
Temperate coniferous forests
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate, while some are a mix of conifers and broadleaf evergreen...
. It is a rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial herb growing 10 t 60 centimeters tall. The green leaf blades are borne on long, slender petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
and divided into three leaflets which each have rounded lobes along the front edges. The flower has five long petals up to 3 centimeters in length including their elongated, knob-tipped spurs. The petals are bright red in the spurs and lighten to yellow-green or orange at the tips. Between the petals are the oval-shaped sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s, which are reddish to yellowish in color and are held parallel to the petals. Flowers often droop such that the mouth is toward the ground and the spurs point up; the flowers are pollinated by the Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
The Broad-tailed hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus, is a medium-sized hummingbird, nearly in length.Male and female both have iridescent green backs and crowns and a white breast. The male has a gorget that shines with a brilliant red iridescence...
(Selasphorus platycercus).