Pulsatilla vulgaris, Miller

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1964, Flora Europaea - Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae, Cambridge University Press : 220

7. P. vulgaris Miller , Gard. Diet. ed. 8, no. 1 (1768)

( Anemone pulsatilla L. ).

Stem 3-12 cm (up to 45 cm in fruit). Basal leaves more or less sericeous when young, becoming glabrous or subglabrous, pinnately divided into 7-9 segments, these again 2- to 3-pinnatisect; lobes linear to linear-lanceolate; cauline leaves united below, sericeous. Flowers 5-5—8-5 cm in diameter, campanulate, erect or suberect, dark to pale purple; perianthsegments usually straight, acute, 2-3 times as long as stamens. • From England and W. France northwards to 60° N. in Sweden and eastwards to the Ukraine. Au Be Br Cz D a G a Ge He Ho H u Po?Rm Rs (W, E) Su. A very variable complex which has been divided into numerous species and subspecies which are, however, ill-defined and appear to represent the more distinct of the numerous isolated populations into which the species has been divided as a result of climatic changes and agricultural operations in Post-glacial times. The smaller and more isolated of these populations, particularly round the periphery of the area occupied by the species, are fairly homogeneous, but in other areas there is considerable variation within populations. While it is likely that most populations are statistically separable from one another there is a large amount of overlap between them and intermediates frequently occur.