Specimen #51
Rue Anemone
Anemonella thalictroides
Photo by me, May 2009
near Saylorville Reservoir Visitor Center
My books are not 100% in agreement with our summer ranger giving the wildflower hike on this one, but the leaves look right. In all of my photographs, I count five and seven petals. Two of my five books mention this flower having an even number of petals -- 6, 8, and 10. Only the website all-creatures seems to show a flower with an odd number of petals (first photo Rue Anemone - 01 has a seven petaled flower). After contemplation, I have decided accept this plant as Rue Anemone.
This flower is similar to the Spring Beauty, which I wrote about earlier in the 100 Species Challenge. The Rue Anemone has less veining in the petals, and the leaves are very different. I read that the petals of this flower are actually sepals. I decided to accept this as fact and will not dissect this flower to confirm.
Rue Anemone leaves are broad with three lobes. Spring Beauty has two leaves that are opposite and look like grass. I tried to uncurl a leaf and show its edge against my hand to show the lobes.
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