About Aquilegia alpina L.
Aquilegia alpina L. is a perennial herb that reaches 15 cm (5.9 in) to 60 cm (24 in) in height. Its leaves are biternate and arranged in a basal growth pattern, emerging from the base of the stem. The lower sections of the stems are covered in soft hairs (pilose), while the upper stem sections are densely covered in fine hairs (pubescent). The middle leaflets are 22 mm (0.87 in) to 28 mm (1.1 in) long and 24 mm (0.94 in) to 34 mm (1.3 in) wide, and each leaflet has its own small stalk (petioluled). Each stem of Aquilegia alpina produces 1 to 3 flowers, occasionally up to 5 flowers per stem. All flowers are nodding. Their color ranges from bright light blue to blue-purple, and they measure 6–9 cm (2.4–3.5 in) across. The nectar spurs located at the tip of the flower are straight or only slightly curved. Among Eurasian Aquilegia species, Aquilegia alpina has the longest nectar spurs, which measure 21.5 mm (0.85 in). The plant's spreading sepals vary in shape from lance-ovate to wider, and measure 3 cm (1.2 in) to 4.5 cm (1.8 in) long. This species' flowers are widely regarded as unusually beautiful. Robert Nold recounted that American botanist Philip A. Munz was almost completely overcome when he described Aquilegia alpina as "one of the most beautiful of all the Aquilegias". British botanist Reginald Farrer held a similarly positive opinion of the flower's appearance. This species is native to the subalpine regions of France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. It grows at altitudes between 1,300–1,900 m (4,300–6,200 ft), most often in rocky areas and stony pastures over carbonate bedrock. It is rare in the subalpine meadows of southwestern Switzerland, Austria, and northwestern Italy, but is more common in the Maritime Alps of France. Aquilegia alpina blooms from July to September, and is pollinated by bees. Cultivated hybrids of A. alpina with hooked nectar spurs grown in the United States have been observed being foraged by the moth species Hemaris thysbe. Aquilegia alpina has a long history of cultivation, and was commonly available for purchase by 1946. Most plants sold under the name A. alpina are actually crosses between multiple Aquilegia species, a common issue across the genus that developed over hundreds of years of cultivation. By 1946, Munz noted that most plants labeled as "A. alpina" were generally hybrids that incorporated Aquilegia vulgaris. This ancestry can be identified by the hooked nectar spurs these cultivated plants typically have. Other plants sold as A. alpina were actually the species Aquilegia bertolonii. Nold confirmed that Munz's observations were still accurate in 2003.
