About Anemonastrum narcissiflorum subsp. chrysanthum (Ulbr.) Raus
This taxon is a subspecies, Anemonastrum narcissiflorum subsp. chrysanthum (Ulbr.) Raus. Plants of this subspecies grow 7 to 60 cm (2+3⁄4 to 23+1⁄2 inches) tall from a caudex, a woody-textured perennial base. Their flowering season runs from spring to mid-summer, and they often continue flowering into late summer. They produce 3 to 10 basal leaves that are ternate, meaning they are structured with three leaflets. These 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 are borne in umbel clusters that hold 2 to 8 flowers, though clusters often appear to hold only a single flower. The inflorescence has 3 leaf-like bracts that are similar in appearance to the basal leaves, but are simpler and much smaller, with a pinnatifid 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 have 40 to 80 stamens, and can have up to 100. After flowering, plants develop fruits grouped into 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. 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. The parent species Anemonastrum narcissiflorum is native to northwestern North America and Eurasia. It can be found growing in high mountain alpine grasslands, thickets, grassy meadows with moist soil, tundra, open woods, along roadsides, and in pastures.
