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Columbine
Family: Ranunculaceae
 Genus: Aquilegia
On the 4th of July, fairly high in Millcreek Canyon (Salt Lake County, Utah)
we saw for the first time this year the beautiful, graceful starry white
columbine, Aquilegia caerulescens. It blooms from June to
August, and is one of our most delicate and graceful wildflowers. It is
found from 6,000 to 11,000 feet in moist to wet soil in the mountains, on
rockslides and outcroppings, as well as shady aspen - spruce forests. The
flowers can, on occasion, reach as much as six inches in diameter, although
they generally range from 1 to 5 inches across. In its Colorado home (it
is the Colorado State flower), the showy sepals are typically blue, and the
smaller petals arranged around the center are white. The word
caerulea means dark blue, and in Colorado the columbine varies
from light to dark blue -- the higher the altitude, the deeper the color.
However, in Utah the flowers of this species are almost pure white, or show
only very pale blue sepals.
The five sepals are petal-like, and resemble a star shape. The five petals
form hollow spurs 1 to 2 inches long, which extend behind the calyx,
usually ending in little knobs. These long flower spurs contain nectar
which is accessible only to hummingbirds and long-tongues insects. However,
some other insects, like bumblebees, share the sweet nectar by cutting holes
in the knobs to obtain it.
Aquilegia, the genus name, comes from the Latin
aquila, meaning an eagle, from the form of the petals. According to
A. W. Smith's A Gardener's Dictionary of Plant Names, "the English
name (from the Latin columba, meaning dove) is also an
allusion to the form of the flower, which has the appearance of doves
drinking -- especially the short-spurred varieties of these perennial herbs."
In Mountain Plants of North-Eastern Utah, it is further explained
that "the species has been likened to doves crowding around a small dish."
Take a look at the flower from the back, and see what you think.
In Utah Plants by Welsh and Moore, seven species of columbine are
reported. I saw the little yellow columbine, Aquilegia flavescens
, last year on the side of the road as we neared Albion Basin.
Watch for it this year as you drive to the Basin. Aquilegia chrysantha
is one of the handsomest species, with its long-spurred, large,
canary yellow flowers. It is the largest species of columbine, and may
reach up to 4 feet tall. It is found in the mountains in moist situations,
although it is not reported in the Wasatch Range. It can be seen along the
trail going up to Weeping Rock in Zion National Park. While there, look
for the red and yellow Cliff Columbine, A. triternata, found
on the moist sandstone cliffs where there is dripping water, or at the
cliff bases. Crimson Columbine, A. formosa, is found in open
woods in the mountains. The red flowers hang down, with the yellow spurs
standing upright in a characteristic fashion.
Columbine is a member of the Buttercup or Crowfoot Family,
Ranunculaceae. The members of this family show a lot of variation.
Most have five sepals, but the number of petals varies from 0 to 16.
Probably the most stable characteristic of the family is a mounded,
spiralled cluster of separate pistils surrounded by many spirally arranged
stamens. The numerous variations otherwise present indicate a very simple,
relatively primitive plant family. The fruit is typically a follicle, but
may be an achene, berry or capsule. In the case of columbine, there are
usually five long narrow spurred follicles filled with tiny black seeds
which are wind dispersed. According to Bertel Bager in Nature As
Designer, "the veins of the follicles form a fine network, sometimes
with transverse lines, like the underside of a snake. These beautiful
markings can be seen best in spring after the plant has been exposed to
wind, rain and frost through the autumn and winter." As I write this,
however, there are some very fine seed cases drying in my flower garden
on plants grown from seed given me by the Mulaiks. They invite close
examination with a 10X hand lens.
Columbines are perennial favorites of gardeners, and most grow easily from
seed. However, when grown in the garden, different species should be
planted far apart because they readily hybridize.
The common columbine was sacred to Venus, and the way to attract affection
from the one you loved was to carry the flowers of columbine. In The
Herb Book, by John Lust, columbine is reported to be used medicinally
as follows: "A decoction of columbine root can be taken to help stop
diarrhea. The flowers taken with wine promote perspiration, and the seeds
with wine have been said to speed the delivery of a child. Columbine leaves
have sometimes been used in lotions to soothe sores in the mouth and throat.
A lotion made from the fresh root can be rubbed into the affected area to
relieve rheumatic aches and pains." Indians often boiled and ate the leaves
in the spring, and the brothers Frank and John Craighead report that
although they are not important forage plants, sheep will graze the
columbine heavily on overstocked ranges.
-- by Janet Williams Mitchell
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