The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Aquilegia

a genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the family Ranunculaceae. The flowers have five large brightly colored sepals and five funnel-shaped petals extended forward into a spur. The petals are blue, violet, or sometimes red, pink, or white. The fruit is an aggregate follicle. There are about 75 known species in the temperate zone of Europe, Asia, and America. The plants of the genus Aquilegia grow on forest edges, along river valleys, and in mountains. In the USSR there are about 20 species. Some species of Aquilegia have long been grown in gardens and have yielded many valuable forms and interspecific hybrids; long-spur hybrids are especially valued. A widely distributed species is the columbine (A. vulgaris), of which there are varieties with simple and double flowers. The species A. glandulosa is valued as an ornament for its attractive large light-blue flowers with white centers.

REFERENCES

Mnogoletnie tsvety otkrytogo grunta. Moscow, 1959.

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References in periodicals archive

Freshly-matured seeds of Adonis, Androsace, Aquilegia and Campanula were collected from the small wild populations growing on Mount Majella, from August to September 2010, in the fruiting period and immediately before dissemination, according to Hay & Smith (2003).

Seed germination capability of four endemic species in the Central Apennines (Italy): relationships with seed size/Capacidad germinativa de especies endemicas de los Apeninos centrales (Italia): relaciones con el tamano de la semilla

The graceful lacy leaves of the aquilegia (ack-will-EE-gee-ah) are held onto the plant by thin delicate stems, so that the leaves dance softly in a breeze.

Columbines and their insect pests

Aquilegia was a ready winner of the two-year-old 5f maiden, while Band got up close home in the 1m handicap to complete the double for McMahon and rider Graham Gibbons.

Horse Racing: Dettori waves goodbye to Britain with a winner; NOTTINGHAM

The genus Aquilegia, a north temperate taxon of about 70 species (Munz 1946; Whittemore, pers.

Are populations islands? Analysis of chloroplast DNA variation in Aquilegia

The pretty aquilegia, which would look lovely in your borders

FLOWER POWER

Aquilegia like fertile, moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade.

Fox among the roses; GARDENING Telly star Emilia Fox's dream is to give up the acting lark and become a professional gardener

I SUGGEST you go for a cottage garden style approach and grow perennial favourites such as lady's mantle, aquilegia, catmint, hostas, bearded iris, lupins, peony, poppies and lavender - all to which rabbits tend to give a wide berth.

&A Q; LIFESTYLE SUNDAY PEOPLE Wild; Your gardening questions answered. Send your questions to gardening@people.co.uk

Ms Thomas said: "I now see that I had some infected plants at least a year ago, but had no reason to believe that a sickly-looking Aquilegia plant had a virulent infection of any sort, let alone one likely to lead to the death of the plant after efficiently infecting other plants around it, as well as creating the long-term issue of resistant, infective spores in the soil."

Killer plant disease warning

They make good companions with other early summer-flowering plants, including aquilegia, geum and trollius, and are generally trouble-free, although flowering will not be so prolific in poor soils.

FLORAL BORDER

Wallington garden is full of colour, and plants of interest include Thalictrum aquilegifolium (Meadow Rue) with pretty, fluffy purple flowers and foliage which looks like aquilegia, hence the name, but with very different blooms.

Stroll through garden's ever-changing summer splendour; John Ellis, head gardener at the National Trust's Wallington estate takes a walk in the garden.: A walk in the garden

The most reliable self-seeder is the good old aquilegia. I've a nice double claret form in my rose garden where it pops up through the dark red roses.

Go to seed and reap rewards; Self-seeders get a bad press, but with a little care, anyone with a limited budget and a lot of space to fill should go for them and let nature take its course, writes JANETWHEATCROFT

If you want a little fun on the Internet try http://www.aquil.demon.co.uk or contact Dirk van der Werf the editor and publisher at Aquilegia Publishing, 2 Grange Close, Hartlepool, TS26 ODU, for further details of this mine of plantsman's information.

Web holds key to origins of unusual plants