Aquilegia confusa

Aquilegia confusa
Aquilegia confusa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Aquilegia
Species:	A. confusa
Binomial name
Aquilegia confusa Rota, Prosp. Fl. Bergamo: 99 (1853)
Synonyms[1]
List Homotypic synonyms Aquilegia pyrenaica f. confusa (Rota) Fiori Heterotypic synonyms Aquilegia benacensis Boothman Aquilegia einseleana f. cimarollii Pamp. Aquilegia einseleana f. intermedia Pamp. Aquilegia einseleana var. portae (Huter) Gürke Aquilegia einseleana proles portae (Huter) Graebn. & P.Graebn. Aquilegia einseleana f. reichenbachii Pamp. Aquilegia einseleana f. schleicheri Skalińska Aquilegia portae Huter Aquilegia pyrenaica f. portae (Huter) Fiori

Aquilegia confusa is a partially accepted species of flowering plant of the genus Aquilegia (columbines) in the family Ranunculaceae that is endemic to the eastern and southern European Alps in Switzerland and Italy.^[2][1] The entirety of the plant, particularly its seeds, are toxic to humans.

Description

Aquilegia confusa is a perennial that favors temperate environments.^[1] The plant favors rocky soil, particularly those comprising calcareous or dolomitic substrates. The plant's flowering period is between June and July in its native range. The plant as a whole is toxic, with the seeds being particularly dangerous to human consumption due to cardiac glycosides.^[2]

Taxonomy

Aquilegia confusa was first described with its binomial in 1853 by Lorenzo Rota.^[1]

Philip A. Munz's 1946 monograph Aquilegia: The Cultivated and Wild Columbines is considered the principal authority on the genus Aquilegia. Munz recognized 67 species, with later authorities on Aquilegia showing little consensus regarding the number of species, subspecies, and varieties.^[3] The plant has sometimes been considered a variety of the species Aquilegia einseleana, including by Munz.^[4] The Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an international organization that provides open-access data on plants, recognizes A. confusa as a synonym for A. einseleana.^[5]

The species A. confusa is accepted by other authorities. It was considered a distinct species in botanist Enio Nardi's 2015 Il genere Aquilegia L. (Ranunculaceae), which the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew follows in its recognition of the species.^[1]

Distribution

A. confusa is endemic to the eastern and southern European Alps in Switzerland and Italy.^[2][1] In Italy, it is specifically endemic from Lombardy to Friuli.^[2] It prefers rocky environments within its range, including rocky pastures, screes, and riverbeds.^[2]

References

1. "Aquilegia confusa Rota". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 7 December 2024. Archived December 10, 2024.
2. "Aquilegia confusa Rota". Portale alla flora del Monte Grappa. University of Trieste. Archived from the original on December 10, 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
3. Nold, Robert (2003). Columbines: Aquilegia, Paraquilegia, and Semiaquilegia. Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 51. ISBN 0881925888.
4. Munz, Philip A. (March 25, 1946). Aquilegia: The Cultivated and Wild Columbines. Gentes Herbarum. Vol. VII. Ithaca, NY: The Bailey Hortorium of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University. p. 76.
5. "Aquilegia confusa Rota". Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Further reading

• Nardi, Enio (2015). Il genere Aquilegia L. (Ranunculaceae) in Italia. ISBN 9788859615187.