Wikipedia article of the day for August 1, 2026

The Wikipedia article of the day for August 1, 2026 is Aquilegia.
Aquilegia is a genus of perennial flowering plants commonly known as columbines. Part of the buttercup family, Aquilegia contains between 70 and 400 described species and subspecies with natural ranges across the Northern Hemisphere. Aquilegia first evolved in Asia, with natural and introduced populations present on all continents except Antarctica. The flowers of most columbines feature nectar spurs; variation in the length of spurs, alongside other flower attributes, evolved to attract pollinators. Popular as garden plants, columbines may have first entered cultivation 1,700 years ago. Their high physical variability and ease of hybridization has resulted in the development of many cultivated varieties. Several cultures have used columbines for medicinal purposes. Columbines have also taken on symbolic connotations: the horn-like shape of the nectar spurs has resulted in associations with cuckoldry, while the species Aquilegia coerulea (pictured) is the state flower of Colorado.