Aquilegia jonesii

Aquilegia jonesii, or Jones' columbine, is a perennial species of plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming.

Description

Jones' columbine is a dwarf species, reaching only 12cm in height. It has basal leaves almost as long as the plant's stems, crowded leaflets, and erect blue or purple flowers which bloom in June and July.

Taxonomy

The specific epithet jonesii honours Captain W. A. Jones, U.S. Engineer, who was the commander of the 1873 expedition on which the species was discovered, and who was the first to find a specimen.

Distribution and habitat

Jones' columbine grows in rocky places in subalpine limestone areas in northern Wyoming, northwest and central Montana, and southern Alberta, at altitudes from 1800m to 3400m. At least 20 populations of the species have been documented, of which 16 are in Wyoming.

External links

• Media related to Aquilegia jonesii at Wikimedia Commons

References

1. Aquilegia
2. Castilleja kerryana
3. List of Canadian plants by family R
4. Endangered plants of Europe
5. List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)
6. List of flora of Utah
7. List of Radula species
8. List of flora of the Sonoran Desert Region by common name