Pulsatilla pratensis

Pulsatilla pratensis (syn. Anemone pratensis),^[2] the small pasque flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to central and eastern Europe, from southeast Norway and western Denmark south and east to Bulgaria. It grows from near sea level in the north of the range, up to 2,100 m (6,900 ft) in the south of its range.^[3][4]

Pulsatilla pratensis
Plant of subsp. bohemica in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Pulsatilla
Species:	P. pratensis
Binomial name
Pulsatilla pratensis (L.) Mill.
Synonyms[1]
List Anemone affinis (Lasch) G.Don Anemone campaniflora Stokes Anemone helleboriflora Richt. ex Pritz. Anemone hungarica (Soó) Soó Anemone obsoleta Steud. Anemone pratensis L. Anemone × zichyi Schur Pulsatilla affinis Lasch Pulsatilla bohemica (Skalický) Tzvelev Pulsatilla breynii Rupr. Pulsatilla hungarica Soó Pulsatilla nigricans Störck Pulsatilla obsoleta Sweet Pulsatilla pratensis var. albida (Domin) Skalický Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. bohemica Skalický Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. flavescens (Hazsl.) Holub Pulsatilla reflexa Gilib. Pulsatilla ucrainica (Ugr.) Wissjul. Pulsatilla × zichyi Schur

Name

The Latin specific epithet pratensis means "from the meadow", referring to one of its typical habitats.^[5]

Description

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 8–30 cm (3–12 in) tall. The leaves are finely divided and thread-like, and densely covered with silvery hairs. The flowers are 2–3 cm (0.8–1.2 in) long, pendulous, bell-like, the tepals with reflexed tips; flower colour varies from purple in the north of the species' range to greenish-violet in the south. The flowers are hermaphrodite, and are pollinated by bees; flowering is from early to mid spring.^[4][6]

Subspecies

There are a number of subspecies:^[3][7][1]

• Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. pratensis
• Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. bohemica Skalický
• Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. hungarica (Soó) Soó
• Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. nigricans (Störck) Zämelis
• Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. ucrainica (Ugr.) ined.
• Pulsatilla pratensis nothosubsp. zichyi (Schur) Zämelis & Paegle

Anemone pratensis from the Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen, 1796

Seedhead of subsp. hungarica

Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. hungarica grows in E Slovakia,^[8] NE Hungary and NW Romania.^[9] In Slovakia and Romania it is categorized as critically endangered CR. In Hungary it is protected by law.^[10] It occurs on open sand-plains and avoids limestone. In Hungary it can be found in two regions, the Nyírség and Bodrogköz.^[11]

Cultivation and uses

This plant is toxic, but can be dissipated through heat or drying.^{[citation needed]}