Aquilegia cultivar series - white

5/5 Columbine is a common name for the genus Aquilegia both in English and French (spelled colombine), so I thought I'd find out why. Apparently, the flower of the columbine, specifically the top, has been interpreted as a group of birds (often doves) sitting, facing each other. In fact other common names, for example in a number of German language dialects, also refer to that image. Correspondingly, the name Columbine is thought to come from the Latin word 'columbīna' signifying a relationship with a pigeon or dove (Latin columba), or more specifically of the same colour as a dove.

Fittingly in scientific classification, there is an order of doves and pigeons (Columbiformes) which contains a Family (Columbidae) and Subfamily (Columbinae), which in turn contain the genus (Columbina). Columbina is a genus of nice species of small doves that can be found from the Southern United States through Central and most of Southern America.

Like the other pictures in this little series (see here flic.kr/s/aHBqjBskvZ), I took this one in a friend's garden. For information on the common columbine, see flic.kr/p/2pS4jd2 and flic.kr/p/2pSsA6x

 

Done