Aquilegia coerulea James (Introduced) (USA (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming)) as per Catalogue of Life) Aquilegia fragrans Benth. (E. Afghanistan to W. Himalaya: Afghanistan, Pakistan, West Himalaya as per POWO) Aquilegia moorcroftiana Wall. ex Royle (Central Asia to W. Tibet and W. & Central Himalaya: Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tadzhikistan, Tibet, West Himalaya as per POWO) Aquilegia nivalis (Brühl) Falc. ex Munz (N. Pakistan to W. Himalaya as per POWO) Aquilegia pubiflora Wall. ex Royle (E. Afghanistan to W. Nepal: Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, West Himalaya as per POWO) Aquilegia vulgaris L. (Introduced) (Europe: Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Corse, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northwest European R, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Yugoslavia; Introduced into: Argentina South, Azores, British Columbia, Canary Is., Chile Central, Chile South, Connecticut, Denmark, East European Russia, Ecuador, Finland, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kamchatka, Kentucky, Krym, Labrador, Madeira, Magadan, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Newfoundland, North Carolina, North European Russi, Norway, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., South European Russi, Sweden, Tasmania, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Victoria, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin as per POWO) Species with description & keys from Flora of Pakistan (Distribution):
Aquilegia baluchistanica Qureshi & Chaudhri Aquilegia chitralensis Qureshi & Chaudhri Aquilegia fragrans Benth. (Found at higher altitudes from N.W. Frontier Province to Kashmir and Punjab (fide Munz, l.c.). The species is cultivated in Europe either as Aquilegia suaveolens or as Aquilegia glauca and artificially hybridised with other species) Aquilegia fragrans var. fragrans (Chitral eastward to Kashmir) Aquilegia fragrans var. kanawarensis (Jacquem. ex Camb.) H. Riedl (Gilgit, Kashmir eastward to Kunawar) Aquilegia moorcroftiana Wall. ex Royle (Widely distributed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Himalaya, as far as Tibet; more common in the eastern part of the area) Aquilegia moorcroftiana var. afghanica (Bruehl) H.Riedl (Mainly in the western part of the whole area of the species, but observed as far east as Kashmir) Aquilegia moorcroftiana var. moorcroftiana (Widely distributed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Himalaya, as far as Tibet; more common in the eastern part of the area) Aquilegia nivalis Falc. ex Baker (Endemic in Pakistan and Kashmir) Aquilegia pubiflora Wall. ex Royle (Extending west to Chitral, east to Punjab and N. India. Very common in Kashmir) Aquilegia pubiflora var. mussooriensis Royle (Mussoorie eastward to Kashmir, Chitral) Aquilegia pubiflora var. pubiflora (More common in the western part of the whole range of the species. The characters mentioned for Aquilegia kurramensis (op.cit) are certainly not sufficient for specific separation, as they are widely variable) . . . Since joining this group, I have not noticed any suggestions that hybridisation MIGHT be a complicating factor in any genus IN THE WILD? The only mention of hybrids I can quickly locate is for cultivated plants.
There are only 4 species of Aquilegia recorded from the Himalaya, so one might imagine it would be straightforward to distinguish between them. That has not been the case.
I still find some specimens, especially those in the Trans-Himalaya, difficult to be certain about. Are they A.fragrans or A.moorcroftiana? A.pubiflora and A.nivalis do not have many, if any records from these districts, so it is usually a choice between these.
But what about hybridisation, where populations overlap? Could this be a complicating factor.
Aquilegia cross readily in cultivation their ‘promiscuity’ being well-known, ending up with all sorts of mixtures. Aquilegia fragrans has been introduced in cultivation a number of times but very soon, seed offered e.g. in Seed Exchanges under this name can rapidly bear little resemblance to the genuine/ true species! . Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae) page with comparative images:
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