''Aquilegia vulgaris'' is a species of
perennial
In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
flowering plant of the genus ''
Aquilegia
''Aquilegia'', commonly known as columbines, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae (buttercups). The genus includes between 80 and 400 taxa (described species and subspecies) with natural Species distribution, rang ...
'' (columbine) in the family
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.
The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...
. Commonly called the common columbine, European crowfoot, and granny's bonnet, it presently possesses the most expansive range and greatest morphological variability in its genus. The current wild range of ''A. vulgaris'' includes its
native
Native may refer to:
People
* '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood
* '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Nat ...
range in Europe as well as
introduced populations in Asia, Oceania, North America (where it has become
naturalized
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
), and South America.
The wild form of ''A. vulgaris'' can grow flowering stems that tall from and often form a bushy clump at its base. In their native range, the species blooms from May to June. The flowers, with diameters measuring up to across, are typically blue or purple and possess
petal
Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...
s with structures known as
nectar spurs.
Associated with fertility goddesses in
ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
and
ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...
, archeological evidence suggests ''A. vulgaris'' was in cultivation by the 2nd century AD in
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of ''Britannia'' after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410.
Julius Caes ...
. The species represented virtuous behaviour, the
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...
, and the
Trinity
The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
within
Christian art
Christian art is sacred art which uses subjects, themes, and imagery from Christianity. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, including early Christian art and architecture and Christian media.
Images of Jesus and narrative ...
; in other contexts, such as
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'', ''A. vulgaris'' was a malevolent symbol. While it has been treated as an herbal remedy since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, some chemicals within the plant are toxic to humans. The species was given its
scientific binomial name by
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
in his 1753 ''
Species Plantarum
' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genus, genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial nomenclature ...
''.
Some horticultural varieties, known as ''
cultivar
A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
s'', that were developed by the 16th century have remained popular with gardeners. Cultivars of ''A. vulgaris'' have continued to be developed, as have
hybrids crossing it with other columbines. The resulted plants produce an array of colours and
double-flowered
"Double-flowered" describes varieties of flowers with extra petals, often containing flowers within flowers. The double-flowered trait is often noted alongside the scientific name with the abbreviation ''fl. pl.'' (''flore pleno'', a Latin ablati ...
examples.
Description
''Aquilegia vulgaris'' is a
perennial
In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of ...
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
of the genus ''
Aquilegia
''Aquilegia'', commonly known as columbines, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae (buttercups). The genus includes between 80 and 400 taxa (described species and subspecies) with natural Species distribution, rang ...
'' in the family
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide.
The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...
. An ''A. vulgaris'' plant possesses a thick
rootstock
A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to ...
that can be either simple or branched, with one or two flowering
stem
Stem or STEM most commonly refers to:
* Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant
* Stem group
* Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Stem or STEM can also refer to:
Language and writing
* Word stem, part of a word respon ...
s.
''A. vulgaris'' plants often form bushy clumps from which their thin stems project upward.
The aerial stems grow to between and tall and can be between and wide at their bases.
These stems are leafy and are pubescent (covered in hairs). The hairs are whitish and are absent on some plants of the species. The branches from the stems are glabrous (covered in glands) and pubescent, with the top portions showing more pubescence than below. The hairs are small and whitish.[
The basal leaves (leaves attached to the base of the plant) are present in large quantities and can reach between and long when including their petioles. The petioles themselves can reach between and long. These leaves are biternate, with each leaflet itself subdivided in three. The thin leaf blades of basal leaves are glabrous on their top sides. They are ]glaucous
''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), ...
(pale blue-grey) and pubescent beneath. There are also cauline leaves (leaves attached to an aerial stem) which are borne on petioles between and in length. The cauline leaves, which appear singularly or in pairs, are similar to the basal leaves but become smaller and simplified the further up a stem they appear.[
Wild ''A. vulgaris'' plants flower between May and June in their native range.][ In North America, where ''A. vulgaris'' is ]naturalized
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
, plants flower with a spring to summer bloom from May to July. The inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
s of the species can feature between three and eighteen flowers. The bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale.
Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...
s are a bit glabrous or scarcely pubescent and are downy beneath. The bracts split into three segments that are each lanceolate in shape. The peduncles are particularly downy and are densely covered by small hair-like structures called trichome
Trichomes (; ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a plant ...
s.[
Wild ''A. vulgaris'' flowers, particularly those on the form that is sometimes called ''Aquilegia vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', are typically blue or purple, with rare examples of white and reddish flowers.] The flowers are in a nodding orientation (facing downwards) and have diameters of between and . The primary flowers of an inflorescence are proportionally larger possessing flowers considered medium- to small-sized within the genus than the secondary flowers of that inflorescence.[
]
The five petaloid sepal
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106
Etymology
The term ''sepalum'' ...
s of the flower can be oriented divergent or perpendicular to the floral axis.[ These sepals are ovate to ovate-lanceolate in shape, coming to acute tips. The sepals of a flower are shorter than its ]petal
Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...
s, measuring between and long and to wide. The inner structure of the flowers form a cup-like appearance.[
Wild ''Aquilegia vulgaris'', as with other ''Aquilegia'', have five petals which possess nectar spurs, a form of ]nectar
Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...
-bearing structure.[ The petals are medium-sized within the genus and are isotropic, with lengths and widths of between and . The broad portion (the ''limb'') of the petal is shorter than its nectar spur. The limbs have broad, rounded ends and measure to long and to wide. The obconical spurs can be hooked or, more rarely, curved. The spurs range in length from to long and are between and at their opening (the ''throat'').][ The spurs have an even tapper as they narrow towards their ends.][
Each flower features multiple ]stamen
The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...
s,[ which measure between and long. The fruit of the plant are follicles which are between and long.][ Members of ''Aquilegia'' produce largely quantities of seeds, which are black.][ ''A. vulgaris'' seeds have shiny surfaces and lack ]elaiosome
Elaiosomes ( ''élaion'' "oil" + ''sóma'' "body") are fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species. The elaiosome is rich in lipids and proteins, and may be variously shaped. Many plants have elaiosomes that attract ...
(a fleshy mass present on some seeds).[ The species's seeds are between and long and have been recorded as weighing .] The plant's chromosome number
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...
is 2''n''=14.[
]
Ecology
Aphid
Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...
s, a type of insect, are known to attack columbines. This is particularly the case for ''A. vulgaris'' and hybrids closely related to it. Aphid infestations can result in stunted growth, sticky honeydew accumulations on the basal leaves, and flowers that are deformed or fail to open.[
]Pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma (botany), stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or bu ...
can be achieved through pollinator
A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female carpel, stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains.
Insects are ...
s visiting flowers to access the nectar
Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...
stored in the spurs. Studies across European ''A. vulgaris'' populations have long identified visitation by bumblebee
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct r ...
s (''Bombus''). Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...
s have also been observed to visit cultivated specimens of the species.
Phytochemistry
Among cyanophore (organism that produces a blue colour) ''Aquilegia'' like ''A. vulgaris'', the cyanogenic glycosides
In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...
compounds dhurrin and triglochinin have been observed. Cyanogenic glycosides generally taste bitter and can be toxic to animals and humans. Ingestion of of fresh ''A. vulgaris'' leaves by a human was observed as causing convulsions, respiratory distress, and heart failure. A child who consumed 12 ''A. vulgaris'' flowers experienced weakness of the limbs, cyanosis
Cyanosis is the change of Tissue (biology), tissue color to a bluish-purple hue, as a result of decrease in the amount of oxygen bound to the hemoglobin in the red blood cells of the capillary bed. Cyanosis is apparent usually in the Tissue (bi ...
, drowsiness, and ; all symptoms abated after three hours.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...
's Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project has identified ''A. vulgaris'' as poisonous.[ An acute toxicity test in mice showed that ethanol extract and the main ]flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
compound isocytisoside from the leaves and stems of the species can be classified as nontoxic since a dose of 3000 mg/kg did not cause mortality in mice. Nicholas Culpeper
Nicholas Culpeper (18 October 1616 – 10 January 1654) was an English botanist, herbalist, physician and astrologer.Patrick Curry: "Culpeper, Nicholas (1616–1654)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford, UK: OUP, 2004) His boo ...
recommended the seeds taken in wine to speed the process of childbirth. In modern herbal medicine it is used as an astringent
An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin '' adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Astringency, the dry, puckering or numbing mouthfeel caused by t ...
and diuretic
A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...
.
Taxonomy
The first reliable descriptions of ''Aquilegia vulgaris'' were written by medieval European mystics and scientists including the 12th-century abbess Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard of Bingen Benedictines, OSB (, ; ; 17 September 1179), also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictines, Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mysticism, mystic, visiona ...
who considered the plant's herbal functions and the 13th-century friar Albertus Magnus
Albertus Magnus ( 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great, Albert of Swabia, Albert von Bollstadt, or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop, considered one of the great ...
.[ The ]binomial name
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, altho ...
''Aquilegia vulgaris'' was assigned by the Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
in his 1753 book ''Species Plantarum
' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genus, genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial nomenclature ...
''.[
''A vulgaris'' is the most morphologically variable species of ''Aquilegia''.][ It is also at the head of a ]species complex
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
that comprises the majority of European ''Aquilegia'', with a minority morphologically aligning with the '' Aquilegia alpina'' complex.[ The ''A. vulgaris'' complex is typified as possessing longer spurs than other Eurasian species, an adaptation suited to pollination by bumblebees with longer tongues. This difference in pollination adaptations corresponds with the distinction between the North American ''Aquilegia'' complexes: '']Aquilegia canadensis
''Aquilegia canadensis'', the Canadian or Canada columbine, eastern red columbine, or wild columbine, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial native to woodland and rocky slopes in easte ...
'' is adapted to hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...
pollination and the '' Aquilegia coerulea'' complex is adapted to moth pollination.
Etymology
The genus name ''Aquilegia
''Aquilegia'', commonly known as columbines, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae (buttercups). The genus includes between 80 and 400 taxa (described species and subspecies) with natural Species distribution, rang ...
'' may come from the Latin word for "eagle", '' aquila'', in reference to the petals' resemblance to eagle talons. A more likely etymology for ''Aquilegia'' is a derivation from the Latin "to collect water", '' aquilegium'' (a container of water), or ("dowser" or "water-finder") in reference to the profusion of nectar in the spurs.[ The specific name ''vulgaris'' is Latin for "common".][
Common names for the species include the common columbine, European crowfoot, and granny's bonnet.][ The word '' columbine'', the common name for species in the genus, derives from the Latin word '']columba
Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...
'', meaning "dove", a reference to the flowers' appearance being similar to a group of doves.[ The name ''granny's bonnet'' is derived from the petals' resemblance to bonnets.]
Distribution
Originally a European species, ''Aquilegia vulgaris'' possibly originated in the Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
.[ It has since spread to become the most widely distributed ''Aquilegia'' species.][ Its range has expanded both through natural radiation and human assistance to include introduced populations that have sometimes become naturalized in Africa, ]Macaronesia
Macaronesia (; ) is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlantic, North Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of list of islands in the Atlantic Oc ...
, the Americas, and Oceania.[ The species is also present in Asia, with populations in the ]Russian Far East
The Russian Far East ( rus, Дальний Восток России, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in North Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asia, Asian continent, and is coextensive with the Far Easte ...
and Uzbekistan
, image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
, image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg
, symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem
, national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
.[ These introduced populations typically originated from ornamental cultivation.][
In Europe, the species ranges northward into southern ]Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
and England.[ The boundaries of species's distribution in ]northern Europe
The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...
, simplified by ''A. vulgaris'' being the exclusive member of the genus in this region, has been understood since the 19th century.[ The southern European distribution of the species is less defined, as its radiation through the Iberian, ]Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, and Balkan peninsulas has brought it into contact with other columbines in that region with introgressive effects.[ The species also ranges east into western Russia.][ '' Aquilegia ballii'', sometimes considered a variety of ''A. vulgaris'', inhabits the ]Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. They separate the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range, which stretches around through M ...
and is the only ''Aquilegia'' in Africa.[
The American botanist and gardener Robert Nold, saying that there was little evidence for the previous species's absence in any part of Europe and that expansion was a natural process, viewed categorizations of any European populations of ''A. vulgaris'' as naturalized rather than as native were "tenuous at best".][ The ]Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...
's Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
History
Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...
(POWO) records the species as native to Albania, Austria, the Balkans, the Baltic states
The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
, Belarus, Belgium, the British Isles, Bulgaria, Corsica
Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...
, continental France, Germany, the Iberians and Italian peninsulas, the Low Countries
The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
, Poland, Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
, Switzerland, and parts of European Russia. POWO considers the populations in Denmark, the Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
, Scandinavia, Ukraine, and portions of European Russian as introduced.
The Italian botanist Enio Nardi considered several hypotheses for how ''A. vulgaris'' reached the British Isles
The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
. The earliest was through a plateau that connected to Continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by som ...
during the Late Miocene
The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...
(prior to 5.333 million years ago). Other possibilities for a later arrival include during Quaternary glaciation
The Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, is an alternating series of glacial period, glacial and interglacial, interglacial periods during the Quaternary period that began 2.58 Year#SI prefix multipliers, Ma (million ...
s or as recently as within the period of recorded history
Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world h ...
.[
Introduced populations of ''A. vulgaris'' live in Macaronesia, a series of ]archipelagos
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
in the Atlantic Ocean off the North African
North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
and European coasts. The species has been repeatedly recorded as present on the Azores
The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
, Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, and Madeira
Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
since at least 1932. On Tenerife
Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...
, one of the Canary Islands, the plant has been reported as present since at least 1974.[
The species is naturalized in North America,][ where it escaped from cultivation as an ornamental plant. It is established within cooler environments on the continent.][ While most of the naturalized populations are the wild form with blue or purple flowers, others descend from horticultural forms with white, red, or pink flowers.] Some forms of the species present on the continent are likely the descendants of hybrids between ''A. vulgaris'' and other ''Aquilegia''. Populations of ''A. vulgaris'' exist on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of Canada and the United States.[ ''A. vulgaris'' was among several foreign species proposed as the ]national flower
In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used t ...
s of the United States during the early 20th century.
In Oceania, the species has been introduced to New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
, and Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
in Australia and both the North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
s of New Zealand. Introduced populations have been recorded in South America since at least 1845, when it was recorded as present in Chilean cultivation. ''A. vulgaris'' populations in Chilea and Argentina have both been recorded in the 21st century.[
]
Cultivation
Archaeobotanical evidence suggests that ''Aquilegia vulgaris'' was cultivated for ornamental purposes in 3rd-century AD Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of ''Britannia'' after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410.
Julius Caes ...
.[ The discoveries of singular ''A. vulgaris'' seeds in burnt waste pits at ]Alcester
Alcester ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon District in Warwickshire, England. It is west of Stratford-upon-Avon, and 7 miles south of Redditch. The town dates back to the times of Roman ...
and Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
have been interpreted as evidence of their planting in gardens. Finds of columbines at a late Saxon site near Winchester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...
and three later medieval German sites have also been interpreted as using the plant for gardening. In 12-century Italy, people may have supported ''A. vulgaris'' or '' Aquilegia atrata'' populations near religious structures, possibly due to the contemporary treatment of columbines as Christian symbols.[
By the 16th century, ]selectively bred
Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant ma ...
horticultural ''A. vulgaris'' were being recorded in Europe. Linnaeus made mention of some horticultural ''A. vulgaris'' when describing the species in 1753 in what was a rare inclusion of cultivated plants within his work. Presently, ''A. vulgaris'' is a frequently cultivated garden plant, though the wild form of the species is rare in such settings. It is most commonly grown in its many cultivated forms, known as ''cultivar
A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
s''. Some of these cultivars were developed centuries ago and remain popular among gardeners in the northern parts of the globe. Some cultivars produce particular colours, while others were bred as double-flowered
"Double-flowered" describes varieties of flowers with extra petals, often containing flowers within flowers. The double-flowered trait is often noted alongside the scientific name with the abbreviation ''fl. pl.'' (''flore pleno'', a Latin ablati ...
plants where stamens produce petals or have sepal-like perianth
The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...
s.[
The species is suited to sunny and partially shaded settings within ]USDA hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
s 3 through 10.[ ''A. vulgaris'' plants generally only live three or four years in garden settings and can be interpreted as having ]biennial
Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years.
In particular, it can refer to:
* Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and t ...
-like lifespans. Within their lifetime, each plant can produce dozens of seedling
A seedling is a young sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle (embryonic root), the hypocotyl (embry ...
s. Deadheading (removing dead flowers) before a plant expends the energy necessary to produce seeds can extend the lifespan of any columbine.[
]
Cultivars and varieties
The single-flowering cultivar 'Nivea' (also known as 'Munstead White')[ received the ]Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...
's Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
It includes the full range of cultivated p ...
.[ 'Nivea' plants grow to tall, have grey-green foliage, and possess white flowers. Other single-flowering cultivars include 'Heidi' and 'Hensol Harebell', both of which can reach can reach tall and have nodding flowers. 'Heidi' plants have purple-red stems and pink flowers, while 'Hensol Harebell' flowers are short-spurred and ]mauve
Mauve ( ; ) is a pale purple color named after the mallow flower (French: ). The first use of the word ''mauve'' as a color was in 1796–1798 according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', but its use seems to have been rare before 1859. ...
-blue.[
The double-flowered cultivars of ''A. vulgaris'' are divided into groups. Within the Flore Pleno group, which includes the white-flowered 'Graeme Iddon' and mauve-blue-flowered 'Rougham Star', the flowers are elongated and the petals are rounded. The cultivars of the Veraeneana group come in several colours of flower and possess green and gold marbled foliage.][
The Stellata group's double flowers are star-shaped and have pointed petals. This group includes the dark purple-flowered 'Black Barlow', the blue-flowered 'Blue Barlow', the multicoloured 'Nora Barlow', and the light-pink flower 'Rose Barlow'.][ Named for ]Nora Barlow
Emma Nora Barlow, Lady Barlow (née Darwin; 22 December 1885 – 29 May 1989), was a British botanist and geneticist. The granddaughter of the British naturalist Charles Darwin, Barlow began her academic career studying botany at Cambridge unde ...
, Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
's granddaughter, 'Nora Barlow' originated in her Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...
garden during the early 1980s. Since the introduction of 'Nora Barlow' into cultivation by the horticulturist Alan Bloom
Alan Herbert Vauser Bloom (19 November 1906 – 31 March 2005) was a British Horticulture, horticulturist and steam engine enthusiast. During his life he created over 170 new varieties of hardy perennial plants. These and Alpine plants and con ...
, it has become widely sold. Hybridization has altered the cultivar's appearance from nodding flowers that were equally green, white, and pink to forward-facing flowers with little green.
In culture
European columbines such as ''Aquilegia vulgaris'' have been assigned several meanings since the ancient period. Within art, ''A. vulgaris'' has been a symbol of both moral and immoral behaviours, as well as an ornamental motif. In ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
and ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...
, the spurs of columbines were interpreted as phallic
A phallus (: phalli or phalluses) is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history, a figure with an erect penis is described as ''ithyphallic''.
Any object that symbo ...
and the plants were associated with the fertility goddesses Aphrodite
Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...
and Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
.[ In ]William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's Elizabethan drama
The English Renaissance theatre or Elizabethan theatre was the theatre of England from 1558 to 1642. Its most prominent playwrights were William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson.
Background
The term ''English Renaissance theatr ...
''Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'', the character Ophelia
Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet. Due to Hamlet's actions, Ophelia ultima ...
presents King Claudius
King Claudius is a fictional character and the main antagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Hamlet''. He is the brother to King Hamlet, second husband to Gertrude and uncle and later stepfather to Prince Hamlet. He obtained the throne of ...
with flowers that include ''A. vulgaris'', where the species is symbolic of deception and serves as an omen of death.[ In '']The Garden of Earthly Delights
''The Garden of Earthly Delights'' () is the modern title given to a triptych oil painting on oak panels painted by the Early Netherlandish master Hieronymus Bosch, between 1490 and 1510, when Bosch was between 40 and 60 years old. Bos ...
'' (1503–1504) by Hieronymus Bosch
Hieronymus Bosch (; ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch people, Dutch painter from Duchy of Brabant, Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, gene ...
, ''A. vulgaris'' serves as a symbol for bodily pleasures.[
Medieval European artists associated the plant with Christian sacredness and sublimity, with Flemish painters of the 15th century frequently depicting the plant in prominent locations within their ]Christian art
Christian art is sacred art which uses subjects, themes, and imagery from Christianity. Most Christian groups use or have used art to some extent, including early Christian art and architecture and Christian media.
Images of Jesus and narrative ...
works.[ Among the Flemish works of this period featuring ''A. vulgaris'' are ]Rogier van der Weyden
Rogier van der Weyden (; 1399 or 140018 June 1464), initially known as Roger de le Pasture (), was an Early Netherlandish painting, early Netherlandish painter whose surviving works consist mainly of religious triptychs, altarpieces, and commis ...
's ''Lamentation of Christ
The Lamentation of Christ is a very common subject in Christian art from the High Middle Ages to the Baroque. After Crucifixion of Jesus, Jesus was crucified, his Descent from the Cross, body was removed from the cross and his friends mourned over ...
'' (), Hans Memling
Hans Memling (also spelled Memlinc; – 11 August 1494) was a German-Flemish people, Flemish painter who worked in the tradition of Early Netherlandish painting. Born in the Middle Rhine region, he probably spent his childhood in Mainz. During ...
's '' The Last Judgment'' (1470–1472) and ''Flowers in a Jug'' (), and Hugo van der Goes
Hugo van der Goes ( – 1482) was a Flemish painter who was one of the most significant and original Early Netherlandish painters of the late 15th century. Van der Goes was an important painter of altarpieces as well as portraits. He introduced i ...
's ''Portinari Altarpiece
The ''Portinari Altarpiece'' or Portinari Triptych (c. 1475) is an oil-on-wood triptych painting by the Flanders, Flemish painter Hugo van der Goes, commissioned by Tommaso Portinari, representing the Adoration of the Shepherds. It measures 253 ...
'' (1475–1476).[
With its dove-like flowers, the species came to symbolize the ]Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...
, such as in a 1497 Parisian book of hours
A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...
by German printer Thielman Kerver.[ The interpretation of the five spurs as five doves saw columbines called "Five birds together" in Austria. A set of seven columbine flowers was associated with the Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The numeric symbolism of columbines was extended to its leaves, with their three-lobed form drawing associations with the ]Trinity
The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...
.[
]
Gallery
Aquilegia vulgaris 100503a.jpg, Plants growing in a meadow
Aquilegia_vulgaris_100503c.jpg, Close-up of flowers
Аквилегия обыкновенная.jpg, Style and stamen under the microscope
References
{{Authority control
vulgaris
Biennial plants
Flora of Europe
Medicinal plants of Europe
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus