About Anemonastrum narcissiflorum (L.) Holub
Anemonastrum narcissiflorum (L.) Holub is a perennial plant that grows between 7 and 60 cm (2+3⁄4 to 23+1⁄2 inches) tall from a woody-like perennial base called a caudex. Its flowering season runs from spring to mid summer, and often continues into late summer. This species produces 3 to 10 basal leaves that are ternate, meaning they are divided into three leaflets. The leaves range in shape from rounded to rounded triangular, and grow on petioles 4 to 20 millimetres (5⁄32-to-25⁄32-inch) long. Flowers form in umbel clusters of 2 to 8 flowers, though they often appear as single flowers. The inflorescence holds 3 leaf-like bracts that look similar to the plant's basal leaves, but are simpler, much smaller in size, and pinnatifid in shape. Flowers do not have true petals; instead they have 5 to 9 petal-like sepals that can be white, blue-tinted white, or yellow. Flowers typically contain 40 to 80 stamens, and can have up to 100 total. After flowering, the plant produces fruits arranged in rounded heads, held on pedicels 5 to 14 centimetres (2 to 5+1⁄2-inch) long. The mature fruits, called achenes, are ellipsoid to ovate in outline and flat in shape. They measure 5 to 9 millimetres (3⁄16 to 11⁄32 in) long and 4 to 6 millimetres (5⁄32 to 1⁄4 in) wide. The achenes are winged, hairless, and have curved or recurved beaks that are 0.8 to 1.5 millimetres (0.031 to 0.059-inch) long. Anemonastrum narcissiflorum is native to northwestern North America and Eurasia. It can be found growing in a variety of habitats, including high mountain alpine grasslands, thickets, moist grassy meadows, tundra, open woods, along roadsides, and in pastures.
