Aquilegia

/ˌækwɪˈlɛdʒiə/ noun

Definition

A genus of flowering plants commonly called columbine, with distinctive spurred petals that resemble an eagle's talons.

Etymology

From Latin 'aquila' (eagle), named by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century because the flower's distinctive spurred petals resembled an eagle's claws or talons.

Kelly Says

Columbine flowers have these wild spurs that really do look like talons, so Linnaeus named the whole genus 'aquilegia'—it's one of the most poetic plant names because botanists were literally saying 'this looks like an eagle grabbed it!'

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