About Aquilegia olympica Boiss.
Aquilegia olympica Boiss. grows to between 30 and 60 cm (12–24 in) tall. Its basal leaves are biternate, with smooth upper surfaces and surfaces below covered in fine or woolly hairs. The edges of its leaflets are lined with rounded teeth. The flowers have blue-violet sepals that measure 18–35 mm (0.71–1.38 in) long, paired with white petals that end in a short, somewhat hooked nectar spur. This species is native to northern Turkey, northern Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the North Caucasus. All other species in the Aquilegia olympica aggregate prefer rocky habitats, but Aquilegia olympica itself grows in damp meadows and spruce forests. Aquilegia olympica produces flowers in late spring and early summer. Larvae of the columbine sawfly Pristiphora rufipes have been recorded feeding on this plant. In traditional medicine of eastern Turkey, a decoction made from Aquilegia olympica has been used as a diuretic.
