RANUNCULACEAE

BUTTERCUP FAMILY

Dieter H. Wilken, except as specified

Annual, perennial herb, sometimes aquatic
Leaves generally basal and cauline, generally alternate, simple or compound; petioles at base generally flat, sometimes sheathing or stipule-like
Inflorescence: cyme, raceme, panicle, or flowers solitary
Flower generally bisexual, radial; sepals generally 5, free, early deciduous or withering in fruit, generally green; petals 0–many, free; stamens generally 10–many; pistils 1–many, ovary superior, chamber 1, style 1, generally ± persistent in fruit as beak, ovules 1–many
Fruit: achene, follicle, berry, or utricle-like, 1–many-seeded
Genera in family: ± 60 genera, 1700 species: worldwide, especially n temp, tropical mtns; many ornamental (Adonis, Aquilegia, Clematis, Consolida, Delphinium, Erianthis, Helleborus ), some highly TOXIC (Aconitum, Actaea, Delphinium, Ranunculus )
Reference: [Duncan & Keener 1991 Phytologia 70:24–27]

ANEMONE

ANEMONE

Perennial from stout, simple to branched caudex, rhizome, or tuber
Stems 1–several, erect, generally simple
Leaves simple to 1-ternate, blade or leaflet toothed to dissected; basal leaves rosetted, petioled, in flower or fruit withered or persistent; cauline leaves generally 2–3, in 1–2 whorls, petiole 0 to short
Inflorescence terminal; peduncles 1–5, erect, 1-flowered, in fruit elongated
Flower radial; receptacle in fruit elongated; sepals 5–8(10), petal-like; petals 0; pistils many, styles in fruit generally persistent, generally glabrous to puberulent
Fruit: achenes, densely clustered
Species in genus: ± 100 species: temp worldwide
Etymology: (Greek: flower shaken by wind)
Some species cultivated for ornamental. Plants with long, plumose styles sometimes separated as Pulsatilla.

Native

A. occidentalis S. Watson

Plant 20–75 cm; caudex branches 0–few
Stems 1–few; hairs soft, in age ± 0 except dense at nodes
Leaves: blade 3.5–8 cm, dissected, segments linear, 1–2 mm wide; basal few, petioles 3–14 cm, soft-hairy; cauline petioles 0 to short
Inflorescence: flowers generally 1
Flower: sepals 5–8, persistent in fruit, 18–30 mm, white to purplish, lower surface soft-hairy
Fruit: cluster spheric, 20–40 mm, densely woolly to soft-hairy; styles 20–30(35) mm, plumose
Ecology: Open, rocky slopes, alpine
Elevation: 1200–3100 m.
Bioregional distribution: Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada
Distribution outside California: to British Columbia, Montana
Horticultural information: TRY; DFCLT.