Aquilegia flavescens
Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 10. 1871.
Stems 20-70 cm. Basal leaves 2×-ternately compound, 8-30 cm, much shorter than stems; leaflets green adaxially, to 14-42 mm, not viscid; primary petiolules to 13-67 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or pilose. Flowers nodding; sepals perpendicular to floral axis, yellow or tinged with pink, elliptic-lanceolate to oblong, 12-22 × 4-10 mm, apex obtuse to acute or sometimes acuminate; petals: spurs yellow, tips incurved, 10-18 mm, stout, evenly tapered from base or more abruptly narrowed near middle, blades cream colored, oblong, 7-10 × 4-8 mm; stamens 12-17 mm. Follicles 18-27 mm; beak 8-10 mm.
Phenology: Flowering summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat: Moist mountain meadows and alpine slopes
Elevation: 1300-3500 m
Distribution
Alta., B.C., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.
Discussion
Aquilegia flavescens sometimes forms hybrid swarms with A. formosa var. formosa, which grows at lower elevations through much of its range. Intermediate specimens having pinkish red flowers and petal blades 5-6 mm are occasionally found where these species grow together. The name A. flavescens var. miniana has sometimes been mistakenly applied to these intermediates, but the type of var. miniana is a typical, pink-sepaled plant of A. flavescens.
Selected References
None.