Aquilegia brevistyla : Small-flowered Columbine

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Crowfoot/Buttercup Family)

Genera: Aquilegia (Columbine) (Lat. Aquila= a eagle; referring to the form of the petals, which resemble the claws of an eagle)

Species: brevistyla (Lat. brevis= brief + stylus= style; short-styled)

Synonym(s): A. canadensis

English Name(s):

Small-flowered Columbine, Yukon Columbine

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plant herbaceous (not woody) with colourless acrid (bitter) juice.
• Stems simple (unbranched), erect, arising from taproots.

Leaves:

• Basal leaves long-petioled (stalked) and biternate in shape.
• Cauline (stem) leaves mush smaller, alternate, short-petioled or sessile (not stalked).

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers 1-4, showy, perfect (bisexual) and of regular symmetry, nodding, 1.5-2.5cm long.
• Sepals 5, blue; petals 5, white with pale blueish spurs.
• Ovaries superior (above floral parts).

Seed:

• Fruit are many seeded follicles, stiffly erect when mature, 2.0-2.5cm long.
• Styles (female parts) 2-5mm long.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Thalictrum (Meadow Rue) species. Which can be distinguished by their numerous flowers.

Physiology:

• Plant and seeds are mildly poisonous.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• plants deciduous from rootstock.
• Blooms in early June.

Animal Uses:

• The 5 sepals and 5 tubular petals form nectaries so deep that only hummingbirds and long-tongued isects can reach them.

Habitat:

• Moist open woods, meadows, and stream banks.
• Gravelly or shaly soil, chiefly on acidic rock.

Modern:

Industrial:

• This flowers name associates it with the bird of freedom. Thus there is a group in the USA who wish to make it the national flower. It grows in almost every state.

Medicinal:

Food:

• Plants and seeds are considered to be mildly poisonous.

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

• In the Victorian Language of Flowers, Aquilegia represents folly.

Industrial:

Medicinal:

• Roots and leaves were used to make a tea that was taken as a remedy for diarrhea and almost any kind or stomach or bowal troubles.
• Roots were used to increase persperation and to treat urinary troubles.
• Seeds were crushed in hot water and this was drunk to relieve headache and fever.

Food:

• Roots were said to be eaten by some Native tribes in N.A.