Species: Anemone quinquefolia var. bifolia Farw.

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Anemone quinquefolia var. bifolia Farw.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Ranunculaceae

Genus:

Anemone

Species Synonyms:

Anemone nemorosa var. bifolia (Farw.) Boivin
Anemone quinquefolia var. interior Fern.

Common Names:

twoleaf anemone
American wood anemone
nightcaps

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

western Alberta, east-central Saskatchewan – Manitoba – Ontario – western Quebec – New Brunswick

Saskatchewan:

east-central Saskatchewan; Somme – Pasquia Hills – Porcupine Hills

Ecoregion:

Boreal Transition, Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist open woods and clearings

Associated Species:

Equisetum palustre, Picea glauca, Viola canadensis var. rugulosa

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Anemone quinquefolia var. bifolia is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted to the eastern part of the province. Some local populations are small and some larger. Possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

5 – 30 cm

Roots:

rhizomes horizontal, slender

Stems:

erect, villous

Leaves:

basal leaves 0 – 1, ternately to palmately divided; petiole 5 – 25 cm long

Leaflets:

3 – 5, terminal leaflet sessile, slightly pubescent above and below, margin crenate to serrate; lateral leaflets frequently lobed

Inflorescences:

flowers solitary; peduncle pubescent or glabrous; involucral bracts 3 (look like stem leaves), petioled, ternately to palmately divided, similar to basal leaves

Flowers:

sepals 5, 6 – 25 mm long, 4 – 8 mm wide, white or rarely pinkish; corolla absent; stamens 30 – 60

Fruits:

aggregates of achenes; achenes not winged, puberulous or villous, beak glabrous or nearly so


ANEMONE KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Styles plumose; calyx lavender, 2 – 4 cm long	A. patens
1 Styles glabrous or pubescent but not plumose; calyx white to purple or reddish, generally less than 2 cm long	2

2 Leaves twice-ternately divided into linear segments	3
2 Leaves less finely divided, principal segments 3 – 5, broader	4

3 Stems several-flowered, to 70 cm tall; ultimate leaf-segments over 3 mm broad	A. multifida var. richardsiana
3 Stems 1 – 3-flowered, to 30 cm tall; ultimate leaf-segments less than 3 mm broad	A. multifida var. hudsoniana

4 Achenes long-woolly, in dense heads	5
4 Achenes glabrous to densely hirsute	7

5 Involucre sessile; rhizomes present, creeping	A. parviflora var. parviflora
5 Involucre petioled; rhizomes absent	6

6 Involucre in one set, below the inflorescence only; leaf lobes serrate on one side for at least half their length; plant densely ashy-pubescent	A. cylindrica
6 Involucre in two sets, with the secondary involucral subtending inflorescence branches; leaf lobes toothed at apex only; plant short-pubescent but greener	A. virginiana var. cylindroidea

7 Stem leaves (involucre) petiolate	A. quinquefolia var. bifolia
7 Stem leaves (involucre) sessile	8

8 Flowers yellow, solitary; involucral leaves in 2 sets (one directly below the inflorescence and one further down the stem), deeply 3 – 5-parted	A. richardsonii
8 Flowers white or cream, often 2 or more; involucral leaves on primary stem below the inflorescence only, deeply 2 – 3-parted	A. canadensis