''Aquilegia saximontana'', the Rocky Mountain columbine, alpine dwarf columbine, dwarf blue columbine, or alpine columbine, is a

perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

that comes from the buttercup family,

Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium' ...

Description

''A. saximontana'' can be found in sub-alpine and alpine areas at elevations of in the Rocky Mountains. This species of columbine blooms in July and August. The blooms are lavender and white, and the entire plant reaches in height. This plant is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

(native only) to the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, United States. ''A. saximontana'' should not be confused with ''

Aquilegia coerulea ''Aquilegia coerulea'', the Colorado blue columbine, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to the Rocky Mountains, USA. ''Aquilegia coerulea'' is the List of U.S. state flowers, state flower of Colorado. ...

var. coerulea'', which overlaps in range and may also have blue and white flowers. They can be identified by comparing the length of the "spur"-shaped backs of the flowers; ''A. saximontana'' has hooked spurs long, while ''A. coerulea'' has straight spurs in length.

State flower

There is some confusion as to which species of columbine is the official

state flower This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory flowers. See also *List of U.S. state trees * Lists of U.S. state insignia References External linksList of state flowers {{USStateLists * U.S. state flowers Flowers ...

of Colorado. The original documents referred to the state flower as being lavender and white in color and not of a particular species. Today, ''Aquilegia coerulea'' is considered the official state flower. Historically, however, ''A. saximontana'' may have a claim to be the "original" state flower of Colorado. The following has been excerpted from The State of Colorado: Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 24
Article 80
Part 9, Sections 24-80-905 through 24-80-908

References

saximontana Flora of the Rocky Mountains Flora of Colorado Symbols of Colorado {{Ranunculales-stub