Aquilegia alpina

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Aquilegia alpina
2014 07 Selva di Progno (VR) Italy - Giazza - Val Fraselle - Aquilegia alpina - Ctg Baldo Lessinia org photo Paolo Villa FOTO6804.JPG
Flower
14 Aquilegia alpina L.jpg
Botanical illustration
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Aquilegia
Species:
A. alpina
Binomial name
Aquilegia alpina
Aquilegia alpina range map.png
Approximate native distribution of Aquilegia alpina in Western Europe [3]
Synonyms [4]

Aquilegia alpina, the alpine columbine or breath of God, [5] is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to the western and central Alps. [4]

Contents

Description

Aquilegia alpina grows to 20–70 cm (7.9–27.6 in) high, with 1–3 (occasionally up to 5) flowers per stem. The flowers are bright light blue to blue-purple, measuring 6–9 cm (2.4–3.5 in) across. The spur at the tip of the flower is straight or only slightly curved, [3] and is the longest of the Eurasian species of Aquilegia at 21.5 mm (0.85 in). [6]

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to subalpine [3] regions of France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, [4] at altitudes from 1,300–1,900 m (4,300–6,200 ft), [7] typically in rocky areas and stony pastures [8] with carbonate bedrock. [9]

Ecology

Aquilegia alpina flowers from July to September, [3] and is pollinated by bees. [6] It is known to be attacked by the gall midge species Macrolabis aquilegiae . [7]

Conservation

As of October 2024, the IUCN Red List listed Aquilegia alpina as Least Concern (LC). This status was last reviewed on 24 June 2010. [1] In Switzerland, it is listed as fully protected in the Bern, Glarus, Grisons, Obwalden, Ticino, and Uri cantons. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Aquilegia</i> Genus of perennial plants (columbine)

Aquilegia is a genus of about 130 species of perennial plants that are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher elevations throughout the Northern Hemisphere, known for the spurred petals of their flowers.

<i>Aquilegia coerulea</i> North American species of columbine

Aquilegia coerulea, the Colorado columbine, Rocky Mountain columbine, or blue columbine, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to the Rocky Mountains and some of the surrounding states of the western United States. It is the state flower of Colorado. The Latin specific name coerulea means "sky blue".

<i>Aquilegia grata</i> Balkan species of columbine

Aquilegia grata is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to the northwestern Balkans.

<i>Aquilegia nuragica</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae

Aquilegia nuragica, commonly called Nuragica columbine, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. It is endemic to Italy, in a single canyon in the Supramonte mountain range on the island of Sardinia.

<i>Aquilegia chrysantha</i> North American species of columbine

Aquilegia chrysantha, the golden columbine, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

<i>Aquilegia saximontana</i> Alpine North American species of columbine

Aquilegia saximontana, the Rocky Mountain columbine, alpine dwarf columbine, dwarf blue columbine, or alpine columbine, is a perennial plant that comes from the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.

<i>Aquilegia flavescens</i> North American species of columbine

Aquilegia flavescens, the yellow columbine, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to the Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada.

<i>Aquilegia elegantula</i> North American species of columbine

Aquilegia elegantula, the western red columbine, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

<i>Aquilegia bertolonii</i> European species of columbine

Aquilegia bertolonii, common name Bertoloni columbine or Bertoloni's columbine, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Italy, southern France, and Slovenia.

<i>Aquilegia pyrenaica</i> Pyrenean endemic species of columbine

Aquilegia pyrenaica, common name Pyrenean columbine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. It is endemic to the Pyrenees where it grows on grassland and in rocky places. It was first described in 1805 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle who gave it the name Aquilegia pyrenaica.

<i>Aquilegia longissima</i> North American species of columbine

Aquilegia longissima, the long-spur columbine or long-spurred columbine, is a rare perennial flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae that is native to northern Mexico, Texas, and Arizona.

<i>Aquilegia atrata</i> European species of columbine

Aquilegia atrata, the dark columbine, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to the Alps and Apennine Mountains.

<i>Aquilegia olympica</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae

Aquilegia olympica is a perennial flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus.

<i>Aquilegia ecalcarata</i> Chinese endemic species of columbine

Aquilegia ecalcarata, the spurless columbine or false columbine, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to central China.

<i>Aquilegia sibirica</i> Species of flowering plant

Aquilegia sibirica, the Siberian columbine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae native to the north-central Asian regions of Siberia, northern Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Xinjiang. A hardy perennial plant, it prefers temperate environments. The Siberian columbine can be between 1 foot (0.30 m) and 2 feet (0.61 m) tall with flowers that are lilac-blue and white in color.

<i>Aquilegia champagnatii</i> Italian species of columbine

Aquilegia champagnatii is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Italy.

<i>Aquilegia einseleana</i> Alpine species of columbine

Aquilegia einseleana, or Einsele's columbine, is a perennial species of plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to the eastern Alps.

<i>Aquilegia glandulosa</i> North Asian species of columbine

Aquilegia glandulosa, the Altai columbine or Siberian columbine, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to northern and central Asia.

Aquilegia incurvata, or the Qinling columbine (秦岭耧斗菜), is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to the Qinling mountain range in China.

Aquilegia litardierei is a perennial species of plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to Corsica.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ancolie des Alpes". IUCN Red List. IUCN. 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  2. Sp. Pl.: 522 (1753)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Aquilegia alpina L." Global Biodiversity Information Facility. GBIF Secretariat. 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Aquilegia alpina L." Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  5. "Aquilegia alpina alpine columbine". The Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 1 January 2021. Other common names; breath of God
  6. 1 2 Whittall, Justen B.; Hodges, Scott A. (2007). "Pollinator shifts drive increasingly long nectar spurs in columbine flowers". Nature. 447 (7145): 706–709. doi:10.1038/nature05857. PMID   17554306.
  7. 1 2 Skuhravá, Marcela; Skuhravý, Václav (2010). "Gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) of South Tyrol (Italy) - summary of results and zoogeographical analysis". Gredleriana. 10: 275–324.
  8. Signorini, Maria Adele; Nardi, Enio (1999). "Taxonomic notes on Isopyrum thalictroides L. var. insignis Gibelli et Pirotta (Ranunculaceae)" (PDF). Flora Mediterranea. 9: 61–64.
  9. Caironi, Valeria; Crosa Lenz, Beatrice; Bollati, Iren Maria (2020). "A multidisciplinary approach for physical landscape analysis: Scientific value and risk of degradation of outstanding landforms in the glacial plateau of the Loana Valley (Central-Western Italian Alps)". Italian Journal of Geosciences. 139 (2): 233–251. doi:10.3301/IJG.2020.01. S2CID   216271412.