Aquilegia litardierei

Aquilegia litardierei is a perennial species of plant in the family Ranunculaceae, endemic to Corsica.

Description
Aquilegia litardierei is a dwarf species, reaching only 5–12cm in height and with blue-violet flowers half the size of those of the common columbine. It blooms in summer.

Taxonomy
The specific epithet litardierei honours the French botanist René Verriet de Litardière (1888–1957), famous for his studies of Corsican flora.

Studies suggest the species is likely to derive from an ancient Sardinian-Corsican complex also including the extremely rare and geographically limited Nuragica columbine, although A. litardierei is a significantly less specialised species.

Distribution and habitat
Aquilegia litardierei is endemic to Corsica, where it grows in rocky alpine habitats.