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alpine anemone, Drummond's anemone, Drummond's windflower

anémone multifide, cliff anemone, cut-leaf anemone, cut-leaf windflower, globe anemone, Pacific anemone

Aerial shoots

(7-)10-25(-30) cm, from caudices, caudices ascending to primarily vertical.

10-70 cm, from caudices, caudices ascending to vertical.

Basal leaves

5-15, 2-ternate, occasionally irregularly so;

petiole 2-10 cm;

terminal leaflet sessile or basally attenuate and appearing petiolulate, obovate to obtriangular, 0.5-3 × 0.5-2 cm, base narrowly cuneate to cuneate, margins incised to dissected on distal 1/3-1/2, apex broadly acute to obtuse, surfaces villous;

lateral leaflets 2x-parted, division frequently irregular; ultimate segments 1-2.6 mm wide.

3-6(-10), 1-2-ternate;

petiole (2-)4-10(-14) cm;

terminal leaflet petiolulate to ±sessile, broadly and irregularly rhombic to obovate, (1.5-)2.5-4.5(-5.5) × (1-)3-10 cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins incised on distal 1/3, apex broadly acute to nearly obtuse;

surfaces abaxially villous-silky, hispid to villous, or sparsely long-pilose, adaxially glabrous, nearly glabrous, villous-silky, or hispid to villous;

lateral leaflets (2-)3x-parted; ultimate segments (1.5-)2-3.5(-5) mm wide.

Inflorescences

1(-2)-flowered;

peduncle villous;

involucral bracts 3(-4), 1-tiered, ±similar to basal leaves, highly reduced, 2-ternate or irregularly so, bases distinct;

terminal leaflet sessile or basally attenuate and appearing petiolulate, obovate to pinnatifid, 1-3.5 × 0.5-2 cm, bases narrowly cuneate to cuneate, margins incised to dissected on distal 1/3-1/2, apex broadly acute to obtuse, surfaces villous;

lateral leaflets 2x-parted, division frequently irregular; ultimate segments 1-2.5 mm wide.

2-7-flowered cymes or flowers solitary;

peduncle villous, pilose, or hispid to villous;

involucral bracts usually 3-5, occasionally 2 in secondary involucres, 1-2-tiered, ternate, occasionally incompletely ternate, ±similar to basal leaves, greatly reduced, bases distinct;

terminal leaflet petiolulate to ±sessile, broadly and irregularly rhombic to obovate, (1.5-)3-4(-5) × 0.5-1(-2) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins incised on distal 1/3, apex broadly acute to nearly obtuse, surfaces abaxially hispid to villous, villous-silky, or sparsely long-pilose, adaxially glabrous, nearly glabrous, hispid to villous, or villous-silky;

lateral leaflets (2-)3x-parted or -lobed, lobes frequently unequal; ultimate lobes 1.5-3(-4.3) mm wide.

Flowers

sepals (5-)6-9, white, or abaxially white, tinged blue, and adaxially white, ovate, rarely oblong or narrowly obovate, 8-20 × 6-10 mm, abaxially hairy, rarely glabrous, adaxially glabrous;

stamens 80-100, whitish;

styles white.

sepals 5-9, green to yellow, blue, purple, red, or occasionally white, or abaxially blue, red, yellow and red, or purple, or tinged purple, adaxially white, yellow, yellow and red, blue, or tinged purple, ovate to oblong, 5-17 × (3.5-)5-7(-9) mm, abaxially hairy, adaxially glabrous;

stamens 50-80.

Achenes

body ovoid, 2-4 × 1-1.5 mm, not winged, woolly;

beak straight, 2-4(-6) mm, glabrous.

body irregularly ellipsoid or elliptic, flat, 3-4 × 1.5-2 mm, not winged, tomentose, woolly, or villous;

beak ±straight, distally recurved or strongly hooked, 1-6 mm, glabrous.

Heads of achenes

spheric, rarely cylindric;

pedicel (2-)3-10 cm.

spheric;

pedicel 6-15(-23) cm.

Anemone drummondii

Anemone multifida

Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; NY; OR; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; South America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Anemone drummondii is an extremely variable species whose circumscription is controversial. Some plants appear intermediate between this species and A. multifida; cytologically the two are quite distinct (G.Boraiah and M.Heimburger 1964; C. L. Hitchcock et al. 1955-1969, vol.2).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

G.Boraiah and M.Heimburger (1964) conducted an extensive cytotaxonomic analysis of this wide-ranging and extremely variable species and its relatives. The present treatment takes a broader view of the species (and its variation) and recognizes fewer entities. In addition, Anemone tetonensis and A. stylosa, plants treated as closely related species by G.Boraiah and M.Heimburger, are treated here as varieties of A. multifida.

Early-season plants of Anemone multifida var. multifida have solitary flowers and will key to var. saxicola. Anemone multifida var. tetonensis and especially var. saxicola might be based on characteristics that are influenced primarily by environment; further study is warranted.

Native Americans used Anemone multifida (no varieties specified) medicinally as an antirheumatic, cold remedy, nosebleed cure, and general panacea, as well as a means of killing lice and fleas (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Ultimate segments of lateral leaflets 1–1.5(–2) mm wide, leaflets villous.
var. drummondii
1. Ultimate segments of lateral leaflets 1.5–2.6 mm wide, leaflets nearly glabrous or pilose.
var. lithophila
1. Flowers in cymes; involucral bracts 2-tiered.
→ 2
1. Flowers solitary; involucral bracts 1-tiered.
→ 5
2. Beak straight.
→ 3
2. Beak recurved or hooked.
→ 4
3. Aerial shoots (30–)40–70 cm; flowers (2–)5–7; bracts silky; sepals ovate or oblong.
var. multifida
3. Aerial shoots (10–)20–40 cm; flowers (1–)2–3; bracts villous; sepals elliptic.
var. saxicola
4. Beak recurved.
var. tetonensis
4. Beak hooked.
var. stylosa
5. Abaxial color of sepals different from adaxial color.
→ 6
5. Abaxial color of sepals same as adaxial color.
→ 7
6. Aerial shoots 20–40 cm; achene beak ± straight.
var. saxicola
6. Aerial shoots 10–20(–25) cm; achene beak recurved.
var. tetonensis
7. Sepals blue, purple, or sometimes white; achene beak recurved.
var. tetonensis
7. Sepals purple to red, or green to red; achene beak strongly hooked distally.
var. stylosa
Source FNA vol. 3. Treatment authors: Bryan E. Dutton, Carl S. Keener, Bruce A. Ford. FNA vol. 3. Treatment authors: Bryan E. Dutton, Carl S. Keener, Bruce A. Ford.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Anemone Ranunculaceae > Anemone
Sibling taxa
A. acutiloba, A. americana, A. berlandieri, A. canadensis, A. caroliniana, A. cylindrica, A. deltoidea, A. edwardsiana, A. grayi, A. lancifolia, A. lyallii, A. multiceps, A. multifida, A. narcissiflora, A. occidentalis, A. okennonii, A. oregana, A. parviflora, A. patens, A. piperi, A. quinquefolia, A. richardsonii, A. tuberosa, A. virginiana
A. acutiloba, A. americana, A. berlandieri, A. canadensis, A. caroliniana, A. cylindrica, A. deltoidea, A. drummondii, A. edwardsiana, A. grayi, A. lancifolia, A. lyallii, A. multiceps, A. narcissiflora, A. occidentalis, A. okennonii, A. oregana, A. parviflora, A. patens, A. piperi, A. quinquefolia, A. richardsonii, A. tuberosa, A. virginiana
Subordinate taxa
A. drummondii var. drummondii, A. drummondii var. lithophila
A. multifida var. multifida, A. multifida var. saxicola, A. multifida var. stylosa, A. multifida var. tetonensis
Name authority S. Watson: Bot. California 2: 424. (1880) Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., in J.Lamarck et al., Encycl., suppl. 1: 364. (1810)
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