Anemone narcissiflora
Anemone virginiana
narcissus anemone, narcissus-flower anemone
anémone de virginie, riverbank anemone, tall anemone, tall thimbleweed, tall windflower, thimbleweed, Virginia anemone
7-60 cm, from caudices, caudices ascending to vertical.
30-100(-110) cm, from caudices, rarely with ascending rhizomes, caudices ascending to vertical.
3-10, ternate;
petiole (2-)4-20 cm;
terminal leaflet ±sessile, obtriangular to oblanceolate, (2.5-)3-6(-9) × 2-10 cm, base narrowly cuneate to cuneate, margins incised (sometimes with few serrate teeth) on distal 1/3, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or puberulous to villous or pilose;
lateral leaflets 1-3x-parted and -lobed; ultimate lobes 3-10 mm wide.
1-5, ternate;
petiole 5-35 cm;
terminal leaflet sessile or nearly so, oblanceolate to obovate, 2-9(-12) × 2-5(-7) cm, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margins coarsely serrate and incised on distal 1/2, apex acuminate to narrowly acute, surfaces pilose, more so abaxially;
lateral leaflets usually 1-2x-lobed or -parted, occasionally unlobed; ultimate lobes 10-30(-40) mm wide.
2-8-flowered umbels or flowers solitary;
peduncle puberulous to villous or pilose to nearly glabrous;
involucral bracts (2-)3, 1-tiered, simple, greatly reduced, otherwise similar to basal leaves, obtriangular, distally 3-cleft and pinnatifid, (1-)1.5-5(-5.5) cm, bases clasping, ±connate, margins incised on distal 1/3, apex acuminate-acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous or puberulous to villous or pilose;
segments primarily 3, subulate or narrowly obtriangular;
lateral segments unlobed or 2-3x-parted and -lobed; ultimate lobes 3-10 mm wide.
(1-)3-9-flowered cymes;
peduncle villous;
primary involucral bracts 3(-5), secondary involucral bracts 2(-3), (1-)2-tiered, ternate, ±similar to basal leaves, bases distinct;
terminal leaflet ±sessile, elliptic to oblanceolate, 2-10(-12) cm (2 cm in secondary involucre) × 2-5(-7) cm, bases cuneate, margins coarsely serrate and incised on distal 1/2, apex acuminate to narrowly acute, surfaces pilose, more so abaxially;
lateral leaflets unlobed or 1x-lobed or -parted; ultimate lobes 8-25(-35)mm wide.
sepals 5-9, white or yellow, or abaxially white, tinged blue, white, or blue, and adaxially white, ovate to rhombic or obovate, 8-20 × 5-13(-15) mm, glabrous;
stamens 40-80(-100).
sepals usually 5, green, yellow, or red (rarely white or abaxially green to green-yellow and adaxially green or yellow and tinged red), oblong, ovate, or obovate, 6.5-20 × 2.5-10mm, abaxially hairy, adaxially glabrous or nearly so;
stamens 50-70.
body ellipsoid to ovate, flat, 5-9 × (3-)4-6 mm, winged, glabrous;
beak curved to recurved, 0.8-1.5 mm, glabrous.
body obovoid, 2-3.7 × 1.5-2mm, not winged, densely woolly;
beak curved, 1-1.5mm, puberulous, not plumose.
spheric;
pedicel (4.5-)5-14(-18.5) cm.
oblong-ellipsoid, rarely obconic;
pedicel 13-25(-30) cm.
=14.
Anemone narcissiflora
Anemone virginiana
Varieties ca. 12 (3 in the flora).
J. Jalas (1988), W. Greuter (1989), W. Greuter et al. (1989), J. Jalas and J. Suominen (1989), and T. G. Tutin et al. (1993+, vol. 1) have recently used the name Anemone narcissifolia Linnaeus because they considered Anemone narcissiflora an illegitimate name. B. E. Dutton et al. (1995) recently proposed to conserve the orthography of Anemone narcissiflora, and the authors of this treatment ollow 14A.1 of the Code, which recommends following "existing usage as far as possible pending the General Committee's recommendation on the proposal" (W. Greuter et al. 1994).
The taxonomy of this highly variable, widespread species is extremely controversial. The conservative approach taken here most closely approximates S.L. Welsh's (1974) treatment for the Alaskan varieties. E. Hultén's discussion (1941-1950, vol. 4, pp. 735-736) of local races and the variation within this species, however, clearly illustrates the need for a thorough biosystematic investigation. Recognition of about 12 varieties is in light of S. V. Juzepczuk's (1970) work; however, he elevated local races to specific rank in his treatment.
The Aleuts used Anemone narcissiflora (no varieties specified) medicinally as an antihemorrhagic (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).
See C. S. Keener et al. (1995) for an analysis of infraspecific variation within Anemone virginiana from which the current treatment has been adopted.
Varieties of Anemone virginiana used medicinally by native Americans were not specified; the species was used as an antidiarrheal, an aid for whooping cough, a stimulant, an emetic, a love potion, a remedy for tuberculosis, and a protection against witchcraft medicine (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Lateral segments of involucral bracts lobed; petiole of basal leaves 15–20 cm; inflorescences umbels; stamens 60–80(–100). | var. villosissima |
1. Lateral segments of involucral bracts unlobed; petiole of basal leaves (2–)4–10 cm; inflorescences umbels or flowers solitary; stamens 40–60. | → 2 |
2. Sepals (when fresh) white or abaxially white or blue and adaxially white (drying yellow); body of achenes 6–9 mm. | var. monantha |
2. Sepals (when fresh) yellow; body of achenes ca. 5 mm. | var. zephyra |
1. Sepals usually 5–10mm, abaxially densely tomentose; anthers 0.7–1(–1.2) mm; primarily Canadian, in dry woods, sandy ridges, and grasslands. | var. cylindroidea |
1. Sepals (6–)10–21 mm, abaxially usually thinly pubescent; anthers (0.8–)1–1.7 mm; widely distributed, in moist habitats. | → 2 |
2. Base of involucral bracts cordate or reniform, rarely subtruncate, terminal leaflets light green, margins proximally mostly straight- to convex-sided, variously lobed or serrate, variously pubescent; anthers typically greater than 1.1 mm; heads of achenes ovoid to ovoid-cylindric, (9–)11–14 mm diam.; widely distributed. | var. virginiana |
2. Base of involucral bracts usually truncate to subtruncate, sometimes reniform or cordate, terminal leaflets deep green, margins proximally concave- to straight-sided, distally incised, thinly pubescent; anthers typically less than 1.2 mm; heads of achenes ±ovoid-cylindric, 8–10(–11) mm diam.; distributed primarily in New England, Great Lakes area, and adjacent Canada. | var. alba |
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