Cutleaf Anemone

Description

Anemone multifida is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common names cutleaf anemone, Pacific anemone and globe anemone. It is native to northern North America from Alaska to New York and as far south as Arizona and New Mexico. It is also known from parts of South America. A. multifada is poisonous as it has high ranunculin content: about 8.1% in aerial parts and 4% in root per dry weight. This is a perennial herb which is quite variable in appearance, especially across varieties. It grows from a branching caudex to heights from 10 to 70 centimeters. The long petioled leaves are covered in a coat of long silky or coarse white hairs. Each leaf is divided into many long, pointed lobes, and the lobes are sometimes subdivided. Including the petiole a single leaf may be 5 to 20 centimeters long. The inflorescence holds one or more flowers. The flowers have no petals but five to eight petallike sepals which may be nearly any color. They are somewhat hairy, especially on the outer surface. The center of the flower contains up to 80 stamens. The fruit is a hairy, beaked achene a few millimeters long.