27 Şubat 2013 Çarşamba

South Dakota State Flower

South Dakota State Flower

Pasque Flower (common name)
Pulsatilla hirsutissima 
(scientific name)

Overview

The pasque flower became the South Dakota state flower in 1903 and is native to the state and much of north-central North America. It’s a type of anemone, a deciduous plant that grows in low clumps in meadows and on prairies. The plants grow close to the ground and have feathery, grayish leaves and silvery hairs all over, even on the outer sides of the petals. The flowers have six long, pointed petals that form a cup shape around the pistil and 150 to 200 yellow stamens. They bloom on straight stalks that rise up from the mounds.
Initially, the flowers face upwards, but gradually they droop. The flowers may be white, purple, or a combination of the two. Petals are generally darker on the outside than on the inside. After flowering, the plant produces a cluster of achenes, dry fruits each containing one seed with a feathery or plumy tail that can catch the wind, allowing the plants to spread. Pasque flowers will grow in almost any sunny location, including flat plains, on hills, or on mountains. Often blooming through snow, in South Dakota they are an early sign of spring.

Close-up

STATUS
Official
PHYSICAL DETAILS
Duration: Perennial
Plant: Feathery, hairy, gray-green leaves with single flowers on slender stalks
Mature Height: 4–16 in (10–40.6 cm)
Flowering: March through April
Flowers: 2–3 in (5–8 cm) across
Flower Color: White to purple
Leaves: 2–3 in (5–8 cm), made up of three leaflets
Fruit/Seed Color: Brown
HABITAT
Location: plains, foothills, and mountain meadows up to 10,000 feet (3,077 m)
Range: Alaska southwards into Utah, eastwards to Illinois and northwards to Alberta
TRIVIA
  • Although pasque flowers are toxic, Native Americans sometimes used them as medicine.
  • While they grow across South Dakota, the flowers are more common in its eastern region.

Click to enlarge an image
State Flower
Pasque Flower
State Flower
Field of Pasque Flowers
State Flower
Close-up of Pasque Flower
State Flower
Pasque Flower after Bloom

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:Plantae
Subkingdom:Tracheobionta
Superdivision:Spermatophyta
Division:Magnoliophyta
Class:Magnoliopsida
Subclass:Magnoliidae
Order:Ranunculales
Family:Ranunculaceae
Genus:Pulsatilla
Species:P. hirsutissima
Author: World Trade Press

Hiç yorum yok:

Yorum Gönder