Aquilegia meridionalis
| Aquilegia meridionalis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Aquilegia |
| Species: | A. meridionalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aquilegia meridionalis (Quézel & Contandr.) E.Nardi[1]
| |
Mount Giona Mount Parnassus Location of Mounts Giona and Parnassus in Greece, to which Aquilegia meridionalis is endemic | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Aquilegia meridionalis is a perennial flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to Greece.[1]
Description
Aquilegia meridionalis is a perennial herbaceous plant with bicoloured petals which are white or pale cream and rounded at the edge and bluish-violet at the top, with blue-violet nectar spurs and sepals. The stamens do not extend past the petals, and the follicles are 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) in length.[2]
Taxonomy
Taxonomic history
The species was initially described as a subspecies meridionalis of Aquilegia amaliae by the French botanists Pierre Ambrunaz Quézel and Juliette Contandriopoulos in 1967.[3] It was raised to the status of a species in its own right by the Italian botanist Enio Nardi in 2014.[4] This assessment is accepted by Plants of the World Online,[1] although Kit Tan et al in 2024 consider it a subspecies meridionalis of Aquilegia ottonis.[2]
Etymology
The specific epithet meridionalis means "southern, midday, of noon, flowering at noon" in Latin.[5] As Quézel and Contandriopoulos also proposed the epithet australis for the plant, the meaning "south" was presumably intended.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Aquilegia meridionalis is endemic to Mount Giona and Mount Parnassus in south-central Greece, growing on shady limestone cliffs at altitudes of 1,100–2,000 m (3,600–6,600 ft).[3][2]
Conservation
As of May 2025, the species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List,[6] although the populations on both Mount Giona and Mount Parnassus were described as "large" in 2024.[2]
Ecology
Aquilegia meridionalis flowers from June to early August.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d "Aquilegia meridionalis (Quézel & Contandr.) E.Nardi". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Tan, Kit; Kofinas, Giannis; Drolapa, Gioula (2024). "The taxonomic status of an Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae) rediscovered in Sterea Ellas, south central Greece" (PDF). Phytologia Balcanica. 30 (2): 167–172. doi:10.7546/PhB.30.2.2024.3. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ a b Quézel, Pierre Ambrunaz; Contandriopoulos, Juliette (1967). "À propos de quelques espèces nouvelles des montagnes grecques" [On some new species from the Greek mountains]. Taxon (in French). 16 (3): 236–240. doi:10.1002/j.1996-8175.1967.tb02075.x. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Nardi, Enio (2014). "Nomenclatural notes on Aquilegia L. (Ranunculaceae) from Europe". Webbia. 69 (1): 105. doi:10.1080/00837792.2014.895892. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ Gledhill, David (2006). The names of plants (4th. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521866456. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
- ^ "Aquilegia - genus". IUCN Red List. 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2025.