The Anemo7ie. 



THE ANEMONE. 



By Edward S. Rand, Jun., Boston, Mass. 



This large and showy family of Ranuncidacex contains many favorite 

 and well-known flowers. 



Species are of common occurrence in most regions of the temperate 

 zones, or in the alpine districts of warmer climates, and many are well- 

 known inhabitants of our gardens. Among the first flowers of spring, they 

 are ever welcome, and yet in the many species they tarry with us late into 

 the autumn ; and the most elegant flower of October is the white Anemone 

 Japonica, Honorine Joubert. 



The single-flowered varieties have no true petals ; but the sepals are often 

 brilliantly colored. The many stamens have a tendency to be converted 

 into petals, and this sometimes happens in the wild state. We have seen 

 flowers of the common wood anemone {A. nemorosa) growing in the fields 

 perfectly double, and have known of this also occurring with the wild 

 hepatica {H. triloba), a plant forming a sub-genus of anemone. 



While our own woods and fields cannot give us the beautiful anemones 

 of Southern Europe, the indigenous species are by no means without 

 beauty. First, the wood anemone {A. nemorosa) is one of the earliest flow- 

 ers of May, and, in congenial situations, fairly carpets the woods with its 

 delicate foliage, spangled with the modest flowers which are often as dain- 

 tily tinted as some rare seashell. This plant is of easy culture, and, if 

 grown in a rich leaf-mould, will come up in the garden year after year. The 

 only care necessary is not to allow it to dry up. Double flowers are of 

 rare occurrence, but occasionally reward the diligent seeker. Another ver- 

 nal species sometimes seen in gardens is Anemone patens ox Pulsatilla (fig- 

 ured in Gray's Genera, 3), commonly known as " Pasque flower." It is a 

 native of Europe, but is also indigenous to the Western prairies. The 

 flower is dull whitish-purple ; sometimes, as often in the European plant, 

 deeper purple, large and spreading, and is very showy. Its mode of growth 

 on a short stem is rather against it, but, after flowering, the stem lengthens ; 

 and the long feathery tails of seed are often more ornamental than the 

 flower. 



