Aquilegia pubescens is a high-altitude species of columbine known by the common names Sierra columbine, alpine columbine and Coville's columbine. Its flowers are large and usually a creamy white.
| Aquilegia pubescens | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Aquilegia |
| Species: | A. pubescens
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| Binomial name | |
| Aquilegia pubescens | |
Distribution and habitat
editThis wildflower is endemic to California, where it is a resident of the High Sierra. It is found in alpine and subalpine climates, often on open, rocky slopes, between 8,000 and 12,000 ft.[2]
Description
editThis leafy columbine rarely reaches half a meter-1.5 feet in height. The showy flowers are erect or spreading, rather than drooping. The characteristic spurs may be up to 5 centimeters long and the flowers up to 5 cm wide. The sepals (outer ring) and the petals (inner, with spurs) are generally cream or white, less often pink or yellow. The round, fused mouth protrudes, enclosing a cluster of long yellow stamens.[2]
Hybrids
editAquilegia pubescens can hybridize with the lower-elevation Aquilegia formosa (crimson columbine) where their ranges overlap. This produces flowers with intermediate color, spur length, and orientation, as shown in the transition-series image, providing a change also in pollinator species: hawkmoths for A. pubescens and hummingbirds for A. formosa.[3]
Gallery
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Aquilegia pubescens flower, full-face
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Aquilegia pubescens bud & flowers
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An unusual Aquilegia pubescens at Red Butte Gardens
References
edit- ^ "NatureServe Explorer - Aquilegia pubescens". NatureServe Explorer Aquilegia pubescens. NatureServe. 2022-05-30. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
- ^ a b Bruce G. Baldwin; et al. (2012). The Jepson Manual, Vascular Plants of California (2nd ed.). University of California Press. ISBN 9780520253124.
- ^ Elizabeth Wenk (2015). Wildflowers of the High Sierra and John Muir Trail. Wilderness Press. ISBN 9780899977386.