Aquilegia hirsutissima

Aquilegia hirsutissima
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Aquilegia
Species:
A. hirsutissima
Binomial name
Aquilegia hirsutissima
Timb.-Lagr. ex Gariod[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Aquilegia viscosa subsp. hirsutissima (Timb.-Lagr. ex Gariod) Breistr.
  • Aquilegia kitaibelii var. minor Rouy & Foucaud
  • Aquilegia magnolii var. minor Rouy
  • Aquilegia pyrenaica var. decipiens Gren.
  • Aquilegia viscosa var. decipiens (Gren. & Godr.) Breistr.

Aquilegia hirsutissima is a perennial flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to France[1] and Spain.[2]

Description

Aquilegia hirsutissima is a perennial herb growing to 10–20 cm (3.9–7.9 in) tall. It has a thick, woody taproot with many stems which are woody at the base and covered with dead leaf stalks from previous years' growth. The stems and leaves are very bristly with glandular hairs, slightly sticky to the touch. The leaves are smooth underneath but hairy and green on the upper surface, with three wedge-shaped and slightly overlapping leaflets with short stalks. The flowers are small, pale azure-blue, and bristly, with pointed sepals turning paler towards the end, and rounded petals with a small notch on the edge and a slightly curved nectar spur. The anthers are sulphur-yellow.[3]

Taxonomy

Aquilegia hirsutissima was described in 1882 (published 1884) by the French botanist Charles Henri Gariod, expanding a brief description by Édouard Timbal-Lagrave. It is considered a subspecies hirsutissima of Aquilegia viscosa by some sources[2] but generally accepted as a separate species.[1][4]

Etymology

The specific epithet hirsutissima means "very hairy, hairiest" in Latin, referring to the plentiful hairs on the stems, leaves, and flowers.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Aquilegia hirsutissima is native to southern France and northeastern Spain,[2] where it grows in dry limestone environments, especially on north-facing slopes.[3]

Conservation

As of January 2025, the species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List.[6]

Ecology

Aquilegia hirsutissima flowers from late May to June.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Aquilegia hirsutissima Timb.-Lagr. ex Gariod". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Aquilegia viscosa subsp. hirsutissima (Timb.-Lagr.) Breistr". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Gariod, Charles Henri (1884). "Notes sur quelques espèces distribuées cette année (1882)" [Notes on some species distributed this year (1882)]. Bulletin de la Société Dauphinoise pour l'échange des plantes (in French). 9: 365–366. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Aquilegia hirsutissima Timb.-Lagr. ex Gariod". World Flora Online. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  5. ^ Gledhill, David (2006). The names of plants (4th. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521866456. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Aquilegia - genus". IUCN Red List. 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2025.