Participant Info

Species

Aquilegia elegantula

Family

Ranunculaceae

CommonName

red columbine

Presence

YES

Status

native

EarliestDate

1900

LatestDate

2019

Ecosystem

montane, subalpine, ruderal

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos

Counties

Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache

Passes

Cumbres, Gunsight, La Manga, Wolf Creek

WildlifePreserves

Big Meadows Reservoir

Other Localities

PhotoRecords

YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Middle San Francisco Creek trailhead 16 June 2019

Comments

Red columbine has been recorded from both sides of the Watershed, from north to south. In somewhat of a contrast to Aquilegia caerulea, A. elegantula enjoys montane shade and can be found in mixed conifer forests, sometimes among rocks on steep road embankments. Its USA range is restricted to similar habitats in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, where it is present in the Rio Grande drainage to the Mexican border (but no farther).

Annotation