Species: Aquilegia formosa
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Sitka Columbine is an herbaceous perennial with stems which are 1-6 dm high and arising from a simple or branched rootcrown. The basal leaves have long petioles and are twice divided into threes; the ultimate wedge-shaped segments are lobed and 1-5 cm long. The few, alternate stem leaves are smaller and less divided. Foliage is glabrous to sparsely hairy with a thin, waxy coating on the undersides of the leaves. 1 to several stalked, nodding flowers are borne at the top of the stem. Each flower has 5 red, spreading sepals and 5 red to yellow, horn-shaped petals with a 2-5 mm long blade and a 10-15 mm straight spur. There are numerous stamens, and the fruit is an erect, bell-shaped, 5-chambered capsule which is ca. 2 cm long.
Classification
Dicotyledoneae
Ranunculales
Ranunculaceae
Aquilegia
NatureServe
Classification
Ecology and Life History
Sitka Columbine is an herbaceous perennial with stems which are 1-6 dm high and arising from a simple or branched rootcrown. The basal leaves have long petioles and are twice divided into threes; the ultimate wedge-shaped segments are lobed and 1-5 cm long. The few, alternate stem leaves are smaller and less divided. Foliage is glabrous to sparsely hairy with a thin, waxy coating on the undersides of the leaves. 1 to several stalked, nodding flowers are borne at the top of the stem. Each flower has 5 red, spreading sepals and 5 red to yellow, horn-shaped petals with a 2-5 mm long blade and a 10-15 mm straight spur. There are numerous stamens, and the fruit is an erect, bell-shaped, 5-chambered capsule which is ca. 2 cm long.