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lance-leaf anemone, mountain thimbleweed, windflower

anémone à cinq folioles, blue windflower, little mountain anemone, Lyall's anemone, nightcaps, wood anemone, wood windflower

Aerial shoots

10-40 cm, from rhizomes, rhizomes horizontal.

5-30 cm, from rhizomes, rhizomes primarily horizontal.

Basal leaves

1, ternate;

petiole 10-25 cm;

terminal leaflet sessile, oblanceolate to ovate, (3.5-)4-7(-8) × 2.5-4(-6) cm, base broadly cuneate, margins coarsely serrate on distal 1/2-2/3, apex acuminate, surfaces ±glabrous;

lateral leaflets unlobed or occasionally 1x-lobed; ultimate lobes 8-25 mm wide.

0-1, ternate;

petiole 4-25 cm;

terminal leaflet ± sessile, rhombic to oblanceolate or obliquely oblanceolate, 1-4.5 × 1.4-3.7 cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins crenate-serrate, serrate, occasionally dentate or incised on distal 1/3-1/2, apex acuminate to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or puberulous to pilose;

lateral leaflets unlobed or 1x-lobed or -parted; ultimate lobes 4-15 mm wide.

Inflorescences

1-flowered;

peduncle ±glabrous;

involucral bracts 3, 1-tiered, ternate, ±similar to basal leaves, bases distinct;

terminal leaflet sessile, oblanceolate to ovate, (2-)3-8.7 × 0.8-3 cm, bases narrowly cuneate to cuneate, margins coarsely serrate on distal 1/2 -2/3, apex acuminate, surfaces ± glabrous;

lateral leaflets unlobed or occasionally 1x-lobed; ultimate lobes 15-30 mm wide.

1-flowered;

peduncle puberulous, villous, or glabrous;

involucral bracts 3, 1-tiered, ternate, ±similar to basal leaves, bases distinct;

terminal leaflet petiolulate or sessile, rhombic to oblanceolate or obliquely oblanceolate, 1-5(-5.5) × 0.5-3 cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins crenate to serrate, serrate to dentate, occasionally incised on distal 1/3-1/2, apex acuminate to acute, surfaces glabrous or puberulous to pilose;

lateral leaflets unlobed or 1x-lobed or -parted, ultimate lobes 5-20 mm wide.

Flowers

sepals (4-)5(-7), white, oblong to elliptic, (13-)15-20(-25) × 5-10 mm, glabrous;

stamens 50-70.

sepals (4-)5(-6), white, rarely pink, or abaxially white or tinged pink or blue and adaxially white, oblong to ovate, 6-25 × 4-8 mm, glabrous;

stamens 30-60.

Achenes

body elliptic, flat, 3.5-5 × 1-1.5 mm, not winged, puberulous;

beak straight or slightly curved, 1-1.5 mm, ±glabrous, not plumose.

body ellipsoid or ovoid, 2.5-4.5 × 1-1.5 mm, not winged, puberulous or villous;

beak straight to curved, rarely recurved, 0.5-2 mm, ±glabrous to sparsely puberulous, not plumose.

Heads of achenes

nearly spheric;

pedicel (3-)4-8(-10) cm.

spheric or nearly so;

pedicel 1-6(-8) cm.

Anemone lancifolia

Anemone quinquefolia

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Jun).
Habitat Damp, rich woods
Elevation 800-1500 m (2600-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NC; SC; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; AB; MB; NB; NS; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Anemone quinquefolia and its relatives (A. grayi, A. lancifolia, A. lyallii, A. oregana, and A. piperi) are remarkably similar morphologically. Consideration of the sizes of various plant parts, degree of lobing of lateral leaflets, and orientation of the rhizome are particularly critical in distinguishing these species. This species complex also shares close morphologic affinities with both European (e.g., A. nemorosa Linnaeus) and Asian (e.g., A. altaica Fischer ex Ledebour) plants.

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

Key
1. Achene body 3–4.5 mm; lateral leaflets of basal leaves frequently 1×-lobed or -parted.
var. quinquefolia
1. Achene body 2.5–3 mm; lateral leaflets of basal leaves unlobed or occasionally 1×-lobed.
var. minima
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Anemone Ranunculaceae > Anemone
Sibling taxa
A. acutiloba, A. americana, A. berlandieri, A. canadensis, A. caroliniana, A. cylindrica, A. deltoidea, A. drummondii, A. edwardsiana, A. grayi, 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. multifida, A. narcissiflora, A. occidentalis, A. okennonii, A. oregana, A. parviflora, A. patens, A. piperi, A. richardsonii, A. tuberosa, A. virginiana
Subordinate taxa
A. quinquefolia var. minima, A. quinquefolia var. quinquefolia
Synonyms A. quinquefolia var. lancifolia
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 386. (1814) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 541. (1753)
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