Anemonopsis
Encyclopedia
Anemonopsis is a monotypic
genus
in the family
Ranunculaceae
, containing only the species Anemonopsis macrophylla.
growing approximately 75 cm high, with pale lavender flowers in late summer, each about 2 cm in diameter. The flowers are bowl-shaped with a rosette of petals in the center, and are downward facing. The flowers are held well above the foliage; although not a small plant, the overall impression is one of daintiness and airiness.
Native to the Japanese island of Honshu
, Anemonopsis is frost hardy at least to zone
4. It is a true woodland plant and cannot tolerate full sun without the leaves scorching, except perhaps in very cool, damp climates. It must also be protected from drying winds.
, Anemonopsis demands summer moisture, but resents excessively wet conditions in winter. It is thus much more easily grown in continental climate
of the eastern United States and Canada than in the Mediterranean climate
of the Pacific Northwest
.
, which are notorious for their seeds remaining viable only for a very short time, Anemonopsis seed retains its viability in storage to a reasonable degree. However, fresh seed is preferable to stored seed.
As with many other members of the Ranunculaceae
, seedlings of Anemonopsis form only cotyledons in their first season; the first true leaves form the year after germination
. Seedlings are slow to reach maturity, and flower in about 5 years. They may be more easily handled by growing in pots until they reach a size suitable for planting out.
No particular treatment of seed is necessary other than exposure to ordinary winter chilling.
Anemonopsis can also be propagated by division.
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae are a family of about 1700 species of flowering plants in about 60 genera, distributed worldwide....
, containing only the species Anemonopsis macrophylla.
Description
Anemonopsis is a herbaceous perennialPerennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
growing approximately 75 cm high, with pale lavender flowers in late summer, each about 2 cm in diameter. The flowers are bowl-shaped with a rosette of petals in the center, and are downward facing. The flowers are held well above the foliage; although not a small plant, the overall impression is one of daintiness and airiness.
Native to the Japanese island of Honshu
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, Anemonopsis is frost hardy at least to zone
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...
4. It is a true woodland plant and cannot tolerate full sun without the leaves scorching, except perhaps in very cool, damp climates. It must also be protected from drying winds.
Cultivation
Like many other herbaceous perennials from JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Anemonopsis demands summer moisture, but resents excessively wet conditions in winter. It is thus much more easily grown in continental climate
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
of the eastern United States and Canada than in the Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
Propagation
Anemonopsis is self-fertile and an isolated plant will set modest amounts of seed. If sown in containers as soon as ripe and the seed containers exposed to winter chilling, germination will occur the next spring. Unlike some members of the RanunculaceaeRanunculaceae
Ranunculaceae are a family of about 1700 species of flowering plants in about 60 genera, distributed worldwide....
, which are notorious for their seeds remaining viable only for a very short time, Anemonopsis seed retains its viability in storage to a reasonable degree. However, fresh seed is preferable to stored seed.
As with many other members of the Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculaceae are a family of about 1700 species of flowering plants in about 60 genera, distributed worldwide....
, seedlings of Anemonopsis form only cotyledons in their first season; the first true leaves form the year after germination
Germination
Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, respectively, and begins growth. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm. However the growth of a sporeling from a spore, for example the...
. Seedlings are slow to reach maturity, and flower in about 5 years. They may be more easily handled by growing in pots until they reach a size suitable for planting out.
No particular treatment of seed is necessary other than exposure to ordinary winter chilling.
Anemonopsis can also be propagated by division.
External links
- Anemonopsis macrophylla photo
- Anemonopsis macrophylla : Flavon's art gallery