44 



base on long stems, and a few leaves on the 

 flowering stem on very short stems. The basal 

 leaves are divided into six lobed segments, while 

 the stem leaves are merely lobed. The showy blue 

 and white flowers often hang downward on curved 

 stems. The flowers have five blue sepals and five 

 white petals which have tubular extensions, or 

 spurs. The spurs of A. brevistyla are relatively 

 short, and are hooked at the ends. Plants bloom in 

 June and July. 



2. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Slender perennial herb, 2- 

 8 dm, sparingly branched, glabrous to glandular and 

 pubescent; basal leaves triternate, on long 

 petioles; stem leaves few, lobed, nearly sessile; 

 flowers showy, 1.5-2.5 cm long, nodding or 

 ascending; sepals 5, blue to purple, oblong- 

 lanceolate, clawed; petals creamy white, blades 

 about same length as sepals, spur bluish, hooked, 

 6-8 mm long; styles and stamens only slightly 

 exceeding the petals; stamens many; follicles 5, 

 pubescent, 2-2.5 cm long, their beaks 2-5 mm long 

 (adapted from Hitchcock and Cronquist 1964, Moss 

 1959) . 



3. LOCAL FIELD CHARACTERS: Aquileqia brevistyla is 

 similar in habit and habitat to the other 

 columbines encountered in southwestern Montana. 

 Aquileqia flavescens (yellow columbine) , probably 

 the species most commonly encountered, has yellow 

 to pinkish flowers with long, slightly incurved 

 spurs. Aquileqia coerulea (Colorado columbine) , 

 another species with blue and white flowers, also 

 occurs on the Gallatin National Forest. It is 

 distinguished from A. brevistyla by its longer 

 spurs (2-4 cm) which are nearly to quite straight. 

 All three species may be found in woodland or 

 meadow habitats, and in rock crevices. 



D. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 



1. RANGE: Aquileqia brevistyla is a species of 

 northwestern North America, occurring from Alaska 

 to northern British Columbia, across Alberta to 

 Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. 



2. CURRENT SITES (GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST): There 

 are no currently documented occurrences of 

 Aquileqia brevistyla on the Gallatin National 

 Forest. 



3. HISTORICAL SITES: One collection, made in 1967 

 from the Boulder River above McLeod, may represent 

 a population of A. brevistyla . The specimen. 



