Tuber Anemone

The tuberous anemones in North America ( A . tuberosa , A . edwardsiana , A . okennonii , A . berlandieri , and A . caroliniana ) are closely related to each other and to the South American species A . decapetala Arduino, A . triternata Vahl, A . cicutifolia I.M. Johnston, and A . sphenophylla Poeppig. Particularly useful characters in identifying North American plants are number of tiers of involucral bracts, presence or absence of heterophylly between basal leaves and involucral bracts, and presence or absence of rhizomes. The current treatment of this group primarily follows C. S. Keener and B. E. Dutton (1994), who included a discussion of the relationships among its members. For a cytotaxonomic discussion of most members of this group, see C. Joseph and M. Heimburger (1966).

Aerial shoots 10-30(-40) cm, from caudex-like tubers, tubers ascending to vertical. Basal leaves 1-3(-5), 1-2-ternate; petiole 5-7 cm; terminal leaflet sessile, rarely petiolulate, irregularly oblanceolate, (1.5-)2-3(-3.5) × 1-2(-2.5) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins incised to dissected on distal 2/3, apex broadly acute, surfaces nearly glabrous; lateral leaflets 1-2×-parted and/or -lobed; ultimate lobes 4-8(-12) mm wide. Inflorescences 2-3(-5)-flowered cymes or flowers solitary; peduncle proximally nearly glabrous, distally villous; involucral bracts primarily 3, (1-)2-tiered, simple, ±similar to basal leaves, pinnatifid, 1.5-5.5 cm (primary involucral bracts 2-5.5 cm, secondary involucral bracts 1.5-3.5 cm), bases distinct, broadly to narrowly cuneate to clasping, margins irregularly serrulate and pinnatifid on ca. distal 1/2, apex narrowly acute to acuminate, surfaces thinly pilose; segments primarily 3, linear to pinnatifid; lateral segments 1-2×-parted and/or -lobed; ultimate lobes 1.5-2.5 mm wide. Flowers: sepals 8-10, pink to white, linear-oblong, 10-14(-20) × (2-)3-5(-6) mm, sparsely hairy; stamens 50-60. Heads of achenes fusiform; pedicel (5-)7-15(-22) cm. Achenes: body orbiculate, flat, 2.5-3.5 × 2-2.5 mm, not winged, densely villous; beak straight, ca. 1.5 mm, minutely puberulous, not plumose. 2 n =16.

Ariz., Calif., Nev., N.Mex., Tex., Utah; n Mexico.

Flowering spring (Apr-May).

Rocky slopes, streamsides; 800-2500m.

Anemone tuberosa, the desert anemone or tuber anemone, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants grow 10 to 30, sometimes 40 cm (16 in) tall, from a woody-like tuber shaped like a caudex. Plants with 1 to 3 basal leaves that are 1 or 2 times ternate. The basal leaves few with long petioles and deeply 3-parted with leaflets lacking stems or rarely with a stalk. Plants flowering early to late spring with the flowers composed of 8 to 10 sepals normally white or pink colored, 10 to 14 mm (0.39 to 0.55 in) long. The plants produce one peduncle with one solitary flower or 2–5 flowered cymes. Fruits in heads fusiform in shape, with 7–20 cm (2.8–7.9 in) long pedicels. Fruits called achenes measure 2.5 to 3.5 mm (0.098 to 0.138 in) long and 2 to 2.5 mm (0.079 to 0.098 in) wide with a rounded outline and flat in shape, densely woolly, not winged also with straight 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long beaks.

Anemone tuberosa is native to south central western North America mostly in Nevada and New Mexico and Northern Mexico but also west to California and East to Texas. This spring flowering plant is found on rocky slopes and along stream banks. Anemone tuberosa is part of a species complex that includes 6 to 9 species native from south western and central USA to South America For the most part all produce tubers or caudex-like tubers.