About Anemonastrum narcissiflorum subsp. fasciculatum (L.) Raus
Plants of this taxon grow between 7 and 60 cm (2+3⁄4 to 23+1⁄2 inches) tall from a caudex, which is a woody-textured perennial base. Their flowering season runs from spring to mid-summer, though they often continue flowering into late summer. They produce 3 to 10 basal leaves that are ternate, meaning they are divided into three leaflets. These leaves are rounded to rounded-triangular in shape, and grow on petioles 4 to 20 millimetres (5⁄32 to 25⁄32 inch) long. Flowers are borne in umbel clusters of 2 to 8 individual flowers, but they often occur singly. The inflorescence holds 3 leaf-like bracts that are similar in general appearance to the basal leaves, but are simpler in structure, much smaller in size, and pinnatifid in shape. The flowers do not produce true petals; instead, they have 5 to 9 petal-like sepals, which can be white, blue-tinted white, or yellow. Flowers usually contain 40 to 80 stamens, and may have as many as 100. After flowering, fruits develop in rounded heads, borne on pedicels 5 to 14 centimetres (2 to 5+1⁄2 inches) long. The fruits are called achenes; when ripe, they are ellipsoid to ovate in outline and flat in shape, measuring 5 to 9 millimetres (3⁄16 to 11⁄32 in) long and 4 to 6 millimetres (5⁄32 to 1⁄4 in) wide. These achenes are winged, hairless, and have curved or recurved beaks that measure 0.8 to 1.5 millimetres (0.031 to 0.059 inch) long. Anemonastrum narcissiflorum is native to northwestern North America and Eurasia. It grows in a range of habitats including high mountain alpine grasslands, thickets, moist grassy meadows, tundra, open woods, roadsides, and pastures.
