Aquilegia

by | Mar 18, 2018 | Aquilegia

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Aquilegia micrantha, the Mancos columbine[3] or Bluff City columbine,[1] is a perennial species of plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.[2]

Description

The Mancos columbine grows to 30–60cm in height with white, cream, blue, or pink sepals, 8 to 20 mm in length. The blades are white or cream and 6 to 10 mm long. The spurs are white or colored like the sepals, 15 to 30 mm long, and straight with the tips of the spurs curving inward. The stamens extend beyond the blades.[3]

Taxonomy

The specific name micrantha means "small-flowered", from Greek μικρός "small" + ἄνθος "flower, blossom".[4]

The usual common name Mancos columbine is taken from the town of Mancos, Colorado, from where the type specimen was sent by Alfred Wetherill (brother of Richard Wetherill) to the describer of the species, Alice Eastwood. Wetherill noted in his letter to Eastwood that it was similar enough to Aquilegia ecalcarata that he at first took it for that species.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Aquilegia micrantha is endemic to the Southwestern United States (southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado, and extreme northern Arizona), where it grows in hanging gardens in canyons[3] where alkaline water seeps from the bases of cliffs.[5]

Varieties

Three varieties are accepted.[2]

  • Aquilegia micrantha var. grahamii (S.L.Welsh & Goodrich) N.H.Holmgren & P.K.Holmgren – Graham's columbine, Utah
  • Aquilegia micrantha var. loriae (S.L.Welsh & N.D.Atwood) N.H.Holmgren & P.K.Holmgren – Lori's columbine, Utah
  • Aquilegia micrantha var. micrantha – Utah, Colorado, and northern Arizona

References

  1. ^ a b "Aquilegia micrantha". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Aquilegia micrantha". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Aquilegia micrantha, Mancos columbine". Forest Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  4. ^ "Aquilegia micrantha". Arches National Park. National Park Service. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Eastwood, A. (1895). "Two Species of Aquilegia from the Upper Sonoran Zone of Colorado and Utah". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 2nd series. 4: 559–560.

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