American pasqueflower, the State flower of South Dakota, is a 

 perennial herb, with attractive, light bluish purple, tuliplike blos- 

 soms. It is one of those plants which, due to honest differences of 

 opinion among botanists, has been named and renamed. However, 

 there is a general consensus of opinion among present-day botanists 

 that Anemo'ne ludovicia'na, A. pa' tens nuttalia'na, A. pa' tens wolf- 

 gangia'na,, Pulsati'lla hirsutis' sima, and P. pa' tens are all synonyms 

 of P. ludovicia'na. This species occurs from Alaska to Washing- 

 ton, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Alberta, and 

 has a, wide altitudinal range (about 4,000 to 10,000 feet). At the 

 higher elevations, it appears on exposed, sunny slopes, but at lower 

 altitudes, it occurs both in the open and in the shade of trees and 

 shrubs, being especially characteristic of open stands of ponderosa 

 pine. 



This species contains the poisonous drug, anemonin, 1 and is listed 

 by Pammel 2 3 as one of the poisonous range plants. However, there 

 is no record, apparently, of any livestock losses from it. Its palat- 

 ability is relatively low, and it produces but a small amount of herb- 

 age, which matures and largely desiccates by midsummer and or- 

 dinarily is only slightly grazed. 



The Indians use the crushed leaves of American pasqueflower as a 

 counter-irritant in the treatment of rheumatism and similar diseases ; 

 the leaves are applied as a poultice, but if left in contact with the 

 skin long enough will cause blistering. 4 Although the dried herbage 

 of this species is sometimes used as a source of the drug, pulsatilla, 

 the official source of that compound is the dried herbage of Old World 

 species, especially the European pasqueflower (P. vulqaris, syn. 

 Anemone pulsatilla) . The plants are collected shortly after bloom- 

 ing and carefully dried. The material loses its medicinal value if 

 preserved much longer than 1 year. The drug, a violent irritant, 

 causes vomiting and purging with pain, tremors, and collapse, when 

 taken in sufficient quantity. Its chief value is as a counter-irritant. If 

 used internally, it was supposed to exert a powerful effect on the 

 genital organs, but this is somewhat doubtful. 1 



American pasqueflower is one of the first plants to bloom in the 

 spring, which inspired some unknown poet to write: 



When vernal warmth the boreal airs restrain, 

 Pasqueflower jewels with gold and Heaven's blue 

 The dress, which earth begins to then renew. 



The actual time of flowering depends upon location, but, usually, 

 the large hairy buds on their stout, short, furry stems, appear soon 

 after the snow melts. Occasional flowers are produced in the fall. 

 Although the flowering period is short, the plants are readily identi- 

 fiable until the seed is dropped, as the fruit heads, borne at the top 



1 Wood, H. C., Remington, J. P., and Sadtler, S. P., assisted by Lyons, A. B., and Wood, 



H. C.. Jr. THE DISPENSATORY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. BY DR. GEO. B. WOOD AND 



DR. FRANKLIN BACHE. Dd. 19, thoroughly rev. and largely rewritten . . . 1,947 pp. 

 Philadelphia and London. 1907. 



2 Pammel, L. H. A MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS CHIEFLY OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA, 



WITH BRIKF NOTES ON ECONOMIC AND MEDICINAL PLANTS ... 2 pts., HlUS. Cedar Rapids, 



Iowa. 1910-11. 



3 Pammel, L. H. POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE RANGE. Ames Forester 1 : 33-[43], illus. 

 1913. 



4 Gilmore, M. E. USES OF PLANTS BY THE INDIANS OF THE MISSOURI RIVER REGION. 

 U. S. Bur. Amer. Ethnol. Rept. (1911-12) 33:45-154, illus. 1919. (Reprinted, 1919.) 



