Syn.: Anemone patens var. multifida Pritz., Anemone patens subsp. multifida Hultén, Anemone patens var. wolfgangiana Koch, Pulsatilla hirsutissima Britton, Pulsatilla ludoviciana A. Heller, Pulsatilla multifida (Pritz.) Juz., Pulsatilla nuttaliana subsp. multifida Aichele et Schwegler, Pulsatilla nuttaliana subsp. nuttaliana, Pulsatilla patens subsp. asiatica Krylov et Serg., Pulsatilla patens var. multifida (Pritz.) S. H. Li et Y. H. Huang, Pulsatilla patens var. wolfgangiana Regel
Family: Ranunculaceae Juss.
Distribution: North American and east Asian subspecies, of a circumpolar species Pulsatilla patens. Found in North America in northwest part of the continent, from north Alaska to Wisconsin and north of New Mexico (absent in Madrean region, southeast and east of US), also in Asia, from Russian Far East to Mongolia and Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol and Xinjiang. Nominate subspecies is not found in North America.
Ecology: Prairie grasslands, meadows, sand dunes, rocky slopes, also in open forests in elevations from 100 to 3800 m. Blooms from April to August. In the prairies it is the first flower seen.
Description: Perennial herb, 5–40(–60) cm tall. Stem erect, hairy, (3–)5–8(–10) basal leaves opening during blooming season, petiolate, almost oval, divided into 3 segments, 5.5–7 × 8–11 cm, middle segment with 6–14 mm petiole or sessile, side segments narrowly lanceolate to linear, stem leaves similar, whorled, sessile. Flowers borne singly on long pedicels; bracts usually in whorls of 3; flowers 2–4 cm long, perianth-segments usually 6 (5–7), pale blue to purple, sometimes almost white, stamens and pistils numerous. Fruit is an achene, 3–4 mm long, styles feathery; fruiting head globe-shaped.
Use: Native tribes used this plant in their traditional medicine.
Note: Another autochthonous North American crocus is Pulsatilla occidentalis, found in the western parts of the continent.
These images were taken in Canada, Alberta, Calgary, Bebo Grove (7. 5. 2013) and Calgary, Twelve Mile Coulee Natural Environment Park (13. 5. 2013).
