E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Anemone drummondii var. lithophila S. Watson (Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.
alpine anemone
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Allan Carson  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #17711)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Anemone drummondii var. lithophila
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a branching woody stem-base; stems erect, 10-30 cm tall, stiff-hairy.
Leaves:
Basal, 5 to 15, ascending, 3- or 4-times 3-parted, sometimes irregularly so, the ultimate segments linear, 1-2.5 mm wide, long-hairy; stalks 2-10 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence 1- (2-) flowered, terminal; flower stalks long soft-hairy; involucral bracts 3 (-4), 1-tiered, leaf-like, similar to basal leaves but short-stalked; petals absent; sepals usually 6 to 9, petal-like, all white or white tinged with blue on outside, narrowly egg-shaped, 8-20 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, hairy on outside, smooth inside; stamens 80-100, whitish.
Fruits:
Achenes, numerous in a spheric head, rarely cylindric, on stalks 3-10 cm long, the achenes egg-shaped, 2-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, not winged, silky-hairy; beaks straight, 2-4 (6) mm long, smooth.
Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:

1. Ultimate leaf segments mostly 1.5-2.5 mm wide; beaks 2-2.5 mm long................. var. lithophila (Rydb.) C.L. Hitchc.

1. Ultimate leaf segments mostly 1-1.5(2) mm wide; beaks mostly 2-4 (6) mm long................. var. drummondii

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Mesic to dry meadows, rock outcrops and scree slopes in the subalpine and alpine zones; rare in SW BC (var. drummondii), common in SE BC, infrequent elsewhere E of the Coast-Cascade Mountains (var. lithophila); N to AK, YT and NT, E to AB and S to WY (var. lithophila), S to CA, disjunct in C ID (var. drummondii).

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Anemone drummondii var. lithophila

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 1280 2155 2610
Slope Gradient (%) 5 46 85
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
45 177 360
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 3 5
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
43
Modal BEC Zone Class
AT
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: AT(7), ESSF(5), IMA(2)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Anemone lithophila Rydb.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References