Aquilegia jonesii, or Jones' columbine, is a perennial species of plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to Alberta, Montana, and Wyoming.[2]

Aquilegia jonesii
Jones' columbine in flower

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Aquilegia
Species:
A. jonesii
Binomial name
Aquilegia jonesii
Synonyms[2]
List
    • Aquilegia jonesii var. elatior (Standl.) Boothman
    • Aquilegia pyrenaica subsp. elatior Standl.

Description

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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.[3]

Taxonomy

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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.[4]

Distribution and habitat

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Jones' columbine grows in rocky places in subalpine limestone areas[3] in northern Wyoming, northwest and central Montana, and southern Alberta,[1] at altitudes from 1800m to 3400m.[3] At least 20 populations of the species have been documented, of which 16 are in Wyoming.[1]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Aquilegia jonesii Jones' Columbine". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Aquilegia jonesii". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. (1997). "Aquilegia jonesii". Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 3. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 7 April 2024 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  4. ^ Parry, C. C. (1874). "Botanical Observations in Western Wyoming". The American Naturalist. 8: 211.