3. Aquilegia fragrans Benth. in Maund, Botanist. 4:t. 181. 1840. Munz in Gentes Herbarium 7:87.1946; Tamura in Kitamura, Pl. W. Pak. & Afghan. 57.1964; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 262.1972; Qureshi & Chaudhri in Pak. Syst. 4(1-2):23.1988.
HARALD RIEDL and YASIN J. NASIR
Rootstock slender, covered by petioles of former year in its uppermost part. Stems 30-80 cm high, branched, with a few spreading hairs near the base, densely hairy with glands below the flowers. Basal leaves 2-3-ternate with long pilose petioles; leaflets cuneate to obovate, ± glaucous, paler and hairy beneath, green and usually glabrous above, 2-3-lobed almost to the base; segments lobed again, 2-4 cm long and wide. Cauline leaves gradually reduced in size and partition from the base upwards, the uppermost bract-like with 1-3 lanceolate acuminate segments. Flowers several, subhorizontal to slightly nodding. Sepals 20-30 x 9-12 mm, whitish to purple, slightly pubescent, obtuse to acute. Lamina of petals truncate, (12-) 15-18 (-25) x 8-14 mm, usually paler than sepals, puberulous; spur straight or slightly curved, 15-18 mm long, c. 3 mm wide near base. Staminodes 8 x 3 mm, lanceolate. Follicles 5-9, 15-20 mm long, densely pubescent with or without glandular hairs.
Type locality: Northern India.
Found at higher altitudes from N.W. Frontier Province to Kashmir and Punjab (fide Munz, l.c.). The species is cultivated in Europe either as Aquilegia suaveolens or as Aquilegia glauca and artificially hybridised with other species. Two varieties can be recognised.
