Anemone multifida
Anemone acutiloba
anémone multifide, cliff anemone, cut-leaf anemone, cut-leaf windflower, globe anemone, Pacific anemone
anémone à lobes aigus, hépatique à lobes aigus, sharp-lobed hepatica, sharplobe hepatica
10-70 cm, from caudices, caudices ascending to vertical.
5-19 cm, from rhizomes, rhizomes ascending to horizontal.
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.
3-15, often purplish abaxially, simple, deeply divided;
petiole 3-19 cm;
leaf blade widely orbiculate, 1.3-8 × 1.8- -11.5 cm, base cordate, margins entire, apex acute or acuminate, surfaces strongly villous to glabrescent;
lobes 3(-5), deltate, 0.7-4 cm wide;
middle lobe 70-90% of total blade length.
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.
1-flowered, villous to pilose;
involucral bracts 3, 1-tiered, simple, dissimilar to basal leaves, lanceolate to ovate, 0.53-1.8 × 0.27-0.95 cm, sessile, calyx-like, closely subtending flowers, bases distinct, cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, strongly villous to glabrescent.
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.
sepals 5-12, white to pink or bluish, ovate to obovate, 6-14.6 × 2.2-5.8 mm, glabrous;
petals absent;
stamens 10-30.
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.
body narrowly ovoid, 3.5-4.7 × 1.3-1.9 mm, slightly winged, hispid, gradually tapering;
beak indistinct.
spheric;
pedicel 6-15(-23) cm.
spheric;
pedicel 0.1-0.4 cm.
=14.
Anemone multifida
Anemone acutiloba
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.)
In North America, Anemone acutiloba and A. americana are sufficiently well differentiated to enable the distinction of the two species. Some intermediates do occur but it is uncertain as to whether thes intermediates or hybrids. The fact that the two species are highly sympatric and still maintain their differences implies that they should still be recognized as distinctive species (see G.L. Stebbins 1993).
The two North American species formerly placed in Hepatica are closely allied to the Eurasian Anemone hepatica Linnaeus [=Hepatica nobilis Miller, Hepatica hepatica (Linnaeus) Karst]. Among European collections, plants approach either A. acutiloba or A. americana in leaf morphology, but some intermediates are found (J. A. Steyermark and C. S. Steyermark 1960). North American plants differ from A. hepatica in having narrower sepals, larger involucral bracts, and shorter and less pubescent scapes. Further research, including a comparative study of breeding systems, is needed to clarify the relationship between Anemone hepatica, A. acutiloba, and A. americana. Pending such work, the eastern North American hepaticas are here recognized as distinct species.
D. E. Moerman (1986) lists Hepatica acutiloba as one of the plants used medicinally by Native Americans in the treatment of abdominal pains, poor digestion, and constipation, as a wash for "twisted mouth or crossed eyes," and as a gynecological aid.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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 |
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
CalFlora, CalPhotos, 
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
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