About Anemonastrum narcissiflorum subsp. zephyrum (A.Nelson) W.A.Weber
Plants of Anemonastrum narcissiflorum subsp. zephyrum grow 7 to 60 cm (2+3⁄4 to 23+1⁄2 inches) tall from a caudex, a woody perennial base. Flowering occurs from spring to mid-summer, and often continues into late summer. The species produces 3 to 10 basal leaves that are ternate, meaning they are structured with three leaflets each. These leaves are rounded to rounded triangular in shape, and grow on petioles 4 to 20 millimetres (5⁄32 to 25⁄32 inches) long. Flowers are borne in umbel-shaped clusters of 2 to 8 flowers, though they often appear to grow singly. The inflorescence has 3 leaf-like bracts that resemble the basal leaves in appearance, but are simpler in structure and much smaller in size, with a pinnatifid shape. Flowers do not have true petals; instead they have 5 to 9 petal-like sepals, which can be white, blue-tinted white, or yellow. Flowers usually hold 40 to 80 stamens, and may have as many as 100. After flowering, fruits develop in rounded heads attached to pedicels 5 to 14 centimetres (2 to 5+1⁄2 inches) long. The ripe fruits, called achenes, are ellipsoid to ovate in outline and flat in shape, measuring 5 to 9 millimetres (3⁄16 to 11⁄32 inches) long and 4 to 6 millimetres (5⁄32 to 1⁄4 inch) 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 inches) long. Anemonastrum narcissiflorum is native to northwestern North America and Eurasia. It grows in high mountain alpine grasslands, thickets, moist grassy meadows, tundra, open woods, along roadsides, and in pastures.
