Aquilegia cazorlensis is a perennial flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to southeastern Spain.[2]
| Aquilegia cazorlensis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Preserved specimen of Aquilegia cazorlensis in the Natural History Museum, London | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Aquilegia |
| Species: | A. cazorlensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Aquilegia cazorlensis | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Description
editAquilegia cazorlensis is a perennial herb growing to 15–25 cm (6–10 in) in height with branched, grooved stems which can be smooth or hairy. The basal leaves are biternate and have stalks measuring 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) long. The plant produces one to three (rarely up to five) nodding blue flowers with egg-shaped, green-tipped sepals 10–16 mm (0.4–0.6 in) in length. The petals are egg-shaped and 8–9 mm long, with a broad, slightly incurved nectar spur of 6–7 mm length. The anthers are yellow and the stamens extend beyond the end of the petals.[3]
Taxonomy
editThe type specimen was collected by the British botanist Vernon Heywood on 1 July 1948 on Pico de Cabañas in the Sierra de Cazorla mountains, and formally described by him in 1954.[3] Although reclassified as a subspecies cazorlensis of the closely related Aquilegia pyrenaica by the Spanish botanists José María Pereda and Manuel Laínz in 1967, A. cazorlensis is now accepted as a separate species in its own right.[2]
Etymology
editThe specific epithet cazorlensis is taken from the Sierra de Cazorla to which the species is endemic.[4]
Distribution and habitat
editAquilegia cazorlensis is endemic to the Sierra de Cazorla in Andalusia, southern Spain.[5] It grows in subalpine limestone screes at altitudes of 1,600–2,000 m (5,200–6,600 ft).[3][1]
Conservation
editAs of December 2024[update], the IUCN Red List listed Aquilegia cazorlensis as Endangered (EN) worldwide. This status was last reviewed on 1 March 2011, when the population was estimated to be stable at around 1,000 adult plants, all in protected areas. Its endangered status is due to its restricted distribution and threats from grazing by animals and trampling and disturbance by humans.[1]
Ecology
editAquilegia cazorlensis flowers from June to July.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Aguileña de Cazorla Aquilegia cazorlensis". IUCN Red List. 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Aquilegia cazorlensis Heywood". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d Heywood, Vernon (1954). "Notulae criticae ad floram Hispaniae pertinentes, I". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). 1: 83–124. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Gledhill, David (2006). The names of plants (4th. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521866456. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ "Aquilegia pyrenaica subsp. cazorlensis (Heywood) Galiano & Rivas Mart". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
External links
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Media related to Aquilegia cazorlensis at Wikimedia Commons
