| Anemonastrum canadense | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Anemonastrum |
| Species: | A. canadense |
| Binomial name | |
| Anemonastrum canadense | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Anemonastrum canadense,synonymAnemone canadensis,[1] theCanada anemone,round-headed anemone,round-leaf thimbleweed,[2]meadow anemone,windflower,[3] orcrowfoot, is aherbaceousperennialflowering plant in the familyRanunculaceae. It is native to moistmeadows,thickets,streambanks, andlakeshores inNorth America, spreading rapidly by undergroundrhizomes. It is valued for its whiteflowers.[4]
The Canada anemone hasshoots with deeply divided and toothed basalleaves on 8–22 cm (3+1⁄4–8+3⁄4 inches)petioles. They grow fromascendingcaudices on long, thinrhizomes. The shoots are 20–80 cm (8–31 inches) tall, and leaves are4–10 cm (1+1⁄2–4 inches) by 5–15 cm (2–6 inches).[5]
Flowers with about 5 white,petal-likesepals and 80-100 yellowstamens bloom from late spring to summer on stems above a cluster of leaves. The sepals areobovate (with the base slightly tapered) and10–20 mm (1⁄2–3⁄4 inch) by5–15 mm (1⁄4–5⁄8 inch).[5]
When they are pollinated, the green pistils in the middle of the flower become a rounded to slightly lengthened seed head. The seeds areachenes, with an almost round body and a beak.[5]
The species was first described in 1768 byCarl Linnaeus, asAnemone canadensis.[6] As traditionally and broadlycircumscribed, the genusAnemone has repeatedly been shown not to bemonophyletic, with genera such asClematis andPulsatilla embedded within it. As part of creating monophyletic genera,Sergei Mosyakin expanded the genusAnemonastrum to includeAnemone canadensis asAnemonastrum canadense.[7]
Anemonastrum canadense is native to Canada and the west central and eastern United States.[1][5]
Anemonastrum canadense was used medically by North American Indigenous peoples as anastringent, as astyptic for wounds, sores, nosebleeds, and as an eyewash. The root was respected by Plains tribes and used for many ailments.
It is likely that most anemones contain similar caustic irritants to other members of the familyRanunculaceae.[8]