Aquilegia chrysantha var. chrysantha (Golden columbine)

Aquilegia chrysantha A. Gray var. chrysantha

Golden columbine

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Magnoliidae	Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others
Order	Ranunculales	Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots”
Family	Ranunculaceae	Buttercup family
Genus	Aquilegia	From Latin aquila, or “eagle,” for the flower’s resemblence to an eagle’s claw
Species	chrysantha	“Marigold,” a reference to the yellow flowers
var.	chrysantha	“Marigold,” a reference to the yellow flowers

About plant names...

Columbines are members of the buttercup family. There are several yellow varieties that are native to a few southwestern states. There is some disagreement as to their common names, so we will have to rely on the scientific names:

Aquilegia chrysantha var. chrysantha	Golden columbine, golden spur columbine, canary columbine
Aquilegia chrysantha var. chaplinei	Chaplin’s golden columbine
Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana	Hinkley’s golden columbine, yellow columbine, Hinckley columbine
Aquilegia chrysantha var. rydbergii	Rydberg’s golden columbine
Aquilegia flavescens	Golden columbine, yellow columbine
Aquilegia longissima	Longspur columbine

Identification: The spurs on the back of each flower are unique in shape. Flowers are about 2-3" (5-7.6 cm) in length and plants are 24-36" (60-91 cm) in height. They may be bright or pale yellow. Leaves are smooth and hairless. They prefer moist areas and medium sunlight, and are commonly found in canyons, like this one in the Sedona area of Arizona.

Oak Creek Trail, AZ

Aquilegia chrysantha var. chaplinei has long spurs like longspur columbines, but it is rare, found only in some remote canyons in New Mexico.

Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana looks most like A. chrysantha var. chrysantha, but is somewhat paler in color, and is found only in Texas.

Aquilegia chrysantha var. rydbergii has somewhat shorter spurs, and is found in New Mexico and Texas.^[1]

Aquilegia flavescens lacks the prominent spurs, and the flowers tip downward.

Aquilegia longissima have very long spurs.

It is common to see intermediate coloration as a result of natural hybridization, like this from Zion National Park:

Many cultivated varieties of these beautiful flowers are available now.

Edibility: Poisonous. Skull & Crossbones I found conflicting information about edibility of columbines. The seeds and roots are highly poisonous, and the leaves of many other members of the buttercup family are poisonous. But one source says flowers of Aquilegia flavescens are sweet-tasting and edible, and can be added to salads.^[2] Another source also says the flowers are safe in small quantities. Better to be safe than sorry though—I’m not putting them on my salad.