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blue windflower, bog anemone, Oregon anemone, Oregon windflower, western wood anemone, western wood anenome

narcissus anemone, narcissus-flower anemone

Aerial shoots

5-30(-35) cm, from rhizomes, rhizomes horizontal.

7-60 cm, from caudices, caudices ascending to vertical.

Basal leaves

0-1, ternate;

petiole 4-20 cm;

terminal leaflet sessile to petiolulate, oblanceolate to rhombic, oblong, or ovate, 1-5(-6) × 0.7-2.5(-3.5) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins sharply serrate on distal 1/2(-2/3), apex acuminate to acute, surfaces strigose to nearly glabrous;

lateral leaflets unlobed or 1x-lobed; ultimate lobes 0.4-10 mm wide.

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.

Inflorescences

1-flowered;

peduncle proximally glabrous, distally villous to pilose;

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

terminal leaflet sessile to petiolulate, oblanceolate to rhombic, oblong, or ovate, 1-8 × 0.8-3(-3.5) cm, bases narrowly cuneate to cuneate, margins crenate to serrate on distal 1/2(-2/3), apex acuminate to acute, surfaces abaxially glabrous or strigose, adaxially nearly glabrous to strigose;

lateral leaflets unlobed or 1x-lobed; ultimate lobes 0.5-10 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.

Flowers

sepals 5-7(-8), blue to purple, reddish, or purple to pink (rarely nearly white or abaxially reddish, violet, or marginally purple, adaxially white), ovate, oblong, or elliptic, 10-20 × 5-8(-10) mm, glabrous;

stamens 30-75.

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).

Achenes

body oblong to ellipsoid, 4-5 × 1.5-2 mm, not winged, puberulous to pilose, rarely glabrous;

beak ±straight, (0.5-)1-1.5 mm, glabrous.

body ellipsoid to ovate, flat, 5-9 × (3-)4-6 mm, winged, glabrous;

beak curved to recurved, 0.8-1.5 mm, glabrous.

Heads of achenes

nearly spheric;

pedicel (1.5-)2-5(-7) cm.

spheric;

pedicel (4.5-)5-14(-18.5) cm.

2n

=14.

Anemone oregana

Anemone narcissiflora

Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CO; WY; BC; NT; YT; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

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.)

Key
1. Stamens 30–60; abaxial color of sepals same as adaxial color; margins of involucral bracts similar to those of basal leaves.
var. oregana
1. Stamens 60–75; abaxial color of sepals different from adaxial color; margins of involucral bracts more coarsely serrate than those of basal leaves.
var. felix
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
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. lancifolia, A. lyallii, A. multiceps, A. multifida, A. narcissiflora, A. occidentalis, A. okennonii, 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. occidentalis, A. okennonii, A. oregana, A. parviflora, A. patens, A. piperi, A. quinquefolia, A. richardsonii, A. tuberosa, A. virginiana
Subordinate taxa
A. oregana var. felix, A. oregana var. oregana
A. narcissiflora var. monantha, A. narcissiflora var. villosissima, A. narcissiflora var. zephyra
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 308. (1887) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 542. (1753)
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