Windwolf
Crex Meadows ... Host to a Multitude of Flowers and Plants
Pasqueflower
Pulsatilla patens -
This flower was a special trek to Crex Meadows requirement. The blooming time for the Pasqueflower is very short, lasting only a few weeks. We arrived in time for what appeared to be the last few days of its blooming.
Once we found the patch, the flowers stood out against the dried grasses. The flowers are approximately 3 inches across and bloom out before the plant begins to leaf. This group of flowers tended to be around 6 inches tall. There were less than 12 blooms in this patch we found.
Common names for this plant include Pasqueflower, Prairie Smoke, May Day flower, and Cutleaf anemone.
All pictures taken April 23, 2008
The two Pasqueflowers on the right were not quite fully open yet and were turned towards the sun.
The Pasqueflower has a very hairy appearance not only on the stem, but the outside flower petals themselves have these white hairs. I did not touch the hairs to check whether they are soft to the touch. Oils from the Pasqueflower are reportedly irritating to the skin.
The plant is self-fertile and the flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs).
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. It will not grow in the shade.
Close up of top left flower HERE and opens into a new window or tab.
The picture on the left shows a more open view of a different pair of these Pasqueflowers.
Below the flower, encircling the stem, is a many-parted floral leaf, covered with silky hairs and are very visible in this picture.
The bright sun shining this warm April day tended to wash out the color of the open flowers, making them appear more white than the soft light blue they actually were.
Synonyms include:Anemone ludoviciana
Anemone multifida
Anemone nuttalliana
Anemone patens L. var. nuttalliana
Anemone patens L. var. wolfgangiana
Anemone wolfgangiana
Pulsatilla hirsutissima
Pulsatilla ludoviciana
Pulsatilla nuttalliana
Pulsatilla patens (L.) ssp. asiatica
Pulsatilla patens (L.) ssp. hirsutissima
Pulsatilla patens (L.) ssp. multifida
Pasqueflower Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants | |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants | |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants | |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants | |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons | |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | ||
| Order | Ranunculales | ||
| Family | Ranunculaceae | Buttercup family | |
| Genus | Pulsatilla Mill | Pasqueflower | |
| Species | Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida | American Pasqueflower |
Close up of bee on flower HERE