Rootstock slender covered with remains of old petioles in its upper part. Stems 20-40 (-80) cm high, ± branched, with a few spreading hairs in the lower, with dense, usually glandular hairs in the upper part below the flowers. Basal leaves bi-rarely tri-ternate with long petioles. Leaflets with short petioles, 1-3 cm long and wide, obovate to cuneate, 2-3-fid to nearly the base, glabrous above, usually paler and slightly pubescent beneath. Cauline leaves reduced in size and partition from the base upwards, uppermost leaves bract-l ike, 1-2 cm long with 1-3 lanceolate lobes. Flowers usually ± nodding. Sepals pale-purplish to blue-purple, 13-18 x 6-8 mm, acute or obtuse, ± puberulous. Lamina of sepals blue, sometimes with yellowish or cream, 10-13 mm long, obovate, spur purplish, straight or slightly curved, 12-17 (-22)mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide at the base. Staminodes lanceolate, 6 mm long. Follicles 5-6, 16-24 mm long, pubescent.

Distribution: Widely distributed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Himalaya, as far as Tibet; more common in the eastern part of the area.

Lower Taxa

• Aquilegia moorcroftiana var. afghanica (Bruehl) H.Riedl
• Aquilegia moorcroftiana var. moorcroftiana

Related Synonym(s):

• Aquilegia euchroma Rech.f. = Aquilegia moorcroftiana var. afghanica (Bruehl) H.Riedl
• Aquilegia helmandica Grey-Wilson = Aquilegia moorcroftiana var. afghanica (Bruehl) H.Riedl
• Aquilegia vulgaris subsp. moorcroftiana var. afghanica Bruehl = Aquilegia moorcroftiana var. afghanica (Bruehl) H.Riedl