Anemone nemorosa — European windflower
![Leaves: Anemone nemorosa. ~ By Charles Brun. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~ brunc[at]wsu.edu ~ Pacific Northwest Plants - www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ranunculaceae/anemone-nemorosa-le-pnw.jpg)
![Flowers: Anemone nemorosa. ~ By Charles Brun. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~ brunc[at]wsu.edu ~ Pacific Northwest Plants - www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Ranunculaceae/anemone-nemorosa-fl-pnw.jpg)
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Facts
European windflower is native to Europe and introduced in North America. In New England, it has been collected only in Massachusetts. Its flowers, comprised of tepals, vary widely in color from white to lavender to yellow, and many cultivars (including double-flowered varieties) are grown throughout the world. Although the flowers are scentless and lack nectar, they are visited by bees. Spreading by rhizomes, colonies can form carpets on forest floors. Although the plant has purportedly been used medicinally, all parts are poisonous, containing the chemical protoanemonin.
Habitat
Forest edges, forests
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf arrangement
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are seven or more petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are six petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 2.5–4.5 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Carpels fused
- the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- NA
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is narrow at the tip and unbranched
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of pistils
- 6 or more
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
-
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are seven or more petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- there are six petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- blue to purple
- white
- Petal appearance
- NA
- Petal folds or pleats
-
- NA
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal number
- 0
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- NA
- Sepal and petal color
- NA
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- the achenes are perpendicular to the plane of the perianth (vertical)
- Achene shape
- the achenes are another shape in outline
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- the fruit is an achene (dry, indehiscent, and usually one-seeded)
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 2.5–4.5 mm
- Fruit locules
- one
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, usually one-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Placenta arrangement
-
- marginal
- the plant has basal placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the base of a simple or compound ovary
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 30–100 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is rhombic (roughly diamond-shaped)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf type
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaves per node
- the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant (i.e., basal)
- Specific leaf type
- the leaf has lobes that radiate from the base, somewhat like a hand
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- edges of forests
- forests
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Plant height
- Up to 20 cm
- Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
7. Anemone nemorosa L. E
European windflower. Anemonidium nemorosum (L.) Holub • MA. Forests, forest fragments.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Anemone blanda:
- petaloid sepals numbering mostly 6 or 7, white to pink or rarely blue, and rhizomes without tubers (vs. A. nemorosa, with petaloid sepals numbering mostly 8-14 per flower, blue or rarely white, and rhizomes tuberous).
- Anemone quinquefolia:
- petaloid sepals number 5, and rhizomes white or brown to black and 1-3 mm thick (vs. A. nemorosa, with petaloid sepals numbering mostly 6 or 7, and rhizomes brown to black and 3-5 mm thick).
Synonyms
- Anemonidium nemorosum (L.) Holub