Aquilegia coerulea E. James:
United States (North America)

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

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.

Stems 15-80 cm. Basal leaves (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. Flowers 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. Follicles 20-30 mm; beak 8-12 mm.

Comments: Open forests and meadows, aspen groves, and talus slopes, foothills to alpine (Weber, 1990).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Ranges from Montana and central Idaho, south to Arizona and New Mexico. Very common in parts of its range.

Comments: The scientific name of this columbine has its species epithet spelled 'caerulea' is Kartesz (1999). According to the Flora of North America (vol. 3, FNA 1997), "Most authors have spelled the epithet "caerulea"; "coerulea" is the original spelling." The 'coerulea' spelling is used by FNA, and was used by Kartesz in 1994. Stearn (Botanical Latin, 1992) accepts the spelling "caerulea" for this word, citing "coerulea" as a variant. Unless author intent to use "coerulea" in preference to "caerulea" can be shown, the use of the "caerulea" spelling can be maintained as a correction of a orthographic or typographic error, made to conform to accepted Latin usage as well as widespread botanical usage. Larry Morse 17Feb01.