Family |
Ranunculaceae
Anemone blanda
Schott & Kotschy
Anemone blanda Schott & Ky.
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, Pl. XI nº 3; 1983)
Life-form & habit: Perennial herb with an oblong rhizome emitting few long-petiolate leaves and one or more uniflorous stems, 5–25 cm tall, with sparse pubescence.
Leaves: Basal leaves palmatisect or palmatipartite, deeply lobed, less than 3 cm across, with few appressed hairs; cauline leaves similar but often more developed, with short petiole close to the flower, forming a distant involucre.
Inflorescence & flowers: Flower up to 3–4 cm in diameter, carried above the cauline leaves on a pedicel with denser pubescence than the stem. Perianth of 8–15 linear-lanceolate petaloid sepals, bluish-white to vivid blue, sometimes white. Numerous stamens with fine filaments and ellipsoid, pale yellow or light brown basifixed anthers. Carpels grouped in a spherical, pubescent head, each topped with a black punctiform style.
Fruit: Pubescent achenes grouped in a globular head.
Phenology: Flowers from March to May.
Habitat & elevation: Rocky terrain in montane areas.
Lebanese distribution: Mi. Bikfaya, Lahfed, Ghazir to Mayrouba; Mm. Jabal Barouk, Sofar, Kneissé, ‘Aïn Zehalta Cedars, Dahr-el-Baidar, Hasroun, Col des Cèdres, Ehden to Sir, Les Cèdres, Fnaideq, Qamou‘a, ‘Akkar mountains; Ve. ‘Aïnata.
Native range : Mountains of Greece, Thrace, Turkey, Caucasus, Georgia, Amanus, Alaouites, Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon