PLANTS NOTES ON BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF THE PRAIRIE CROCUS (ANEMONE PATENS L.) AND ITS CURRENT STATUS IN SASKATCHEWAN VLADIMIR V. KRICSFALUSY1, YAKIV P. PONOMARENKO2 1School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, 117 Science Place, Saskatoon SK S7N 5C8, Canada email: [email protected] 2Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon SK S7N 5E2, Canada email: [email protected] INTRODUCTION tolerate human influence to some The prairie crocus (Anemone extent. However, its conservation patens L. sensu lato) is a perennial is of growing concern in some parts herb widespread through the of the world, especially in Europe temperate regions of the Northern where the general population Hemisphere, comprising a few is dramatically declining and different subspecies.1 It ranges hence this species is included from Europe to North America, in the European Red List of passing through Central, North vascular plants,2 as well as in and Eastern Europe as well as national Red Data Books of most Central and North Asia, and European countries where this reaching the central part of North plant is present. In North America, America covering a wide range of A. patens is relatively well climatic and habitat conditions. It represented in the United States should be noted that A. patens and Canada and has limited legal var. multifida Pritz. is confined protection in some of the states to the eastern section of the and provinces of these countries. species’ distribution range (Asia– This plant is strongly associated North America), while the western with native prairies,3 which are section (Europe) is dominated by some of the most endangered A. patens var. patens. Overlapping ecosystems of North America. of these taxa occurs in Central For the whole continent, native Asia. mixed and short-grass prairies have declined to less than 20% of A. patens is considered to be their original extent.4 In the prairie resistant to disturbances and can provinces of Canada, although it 71 (3) September 2013 135 is a widespread and familiar plant, In North America A. patens is much is still unknown about the considered to be the provincial species’ biology and ecology as flower of Manitoba and the state well as the processes that may flower of South Dakota. It also threaten its local survival, for appears on the Coat of Arms example in Saskatchewan, where of Manitoba and of the City of the range of A. patens has been Winnipeg. Recently, a special contracting over the past few monument was erected in Arden, decades, particularly in the vicinity Manitoba to celebrate A. patens of major urban centres like Regina as a heritage plant.12 The image of and Saskatoon.5,6,7 A. patens has also been profusely used in collectable items, including A. patens is an important postage stamps in many countries species not only from a biological and the world’s purest gold coin in and ecological perspective but Canada.13 also from a cultural point of view, being present in horticulture, The goals of this study of traditional medicine, folklore A. patens are to (i) clarify its and symbols. As a widespread taxonomic status, (ii) expand plant across North America, A. the current knowledge of biology patens has been used by many and ecology of the species, and native tribes as a treatment for (iii) contribute to biodiversity several illnesses. For example, conservation in Saskatchewan. in Saskatchewan the Blackfoot applied a poultice of crushed METHODS leaves topically as a counterirritant. Study Site They also used this plant to speed During May–July of 2011 and birth delivery by taking a decoction 2012, we conducted studies of the of the plant.8,9 A. patens has an biology and ecology of A. patens important symbolic value among and surveyed its distribution North American native peoples, in Saskatchewan, placing a as well as some Scandinavian particular emphasis on provincially and Slavic nations in Europe. As protected areas. Surveyed sites in ancient Greece, this plant is a included Prince Albert National herald of the arriving spring.10,11 Park, The Battlefords Provincial A. patens is also present in more Park, Cypress Hills Interprovincial “formal” symbolism. In Europe this Park, Redberry Lake Biosphere species is adopted as the official Reserve, and several conservation floral emblem of two provinces – areas in the city of Saskatoon Häme and South Karelia, Finland. and its vicinity: Beaver Creek, 136 Blue Jay Cranberry Flats, Crocus Prairie, of A. patens in the study site within Kernen Prairie, McKercher, a 10 m × 10 m plot that was staked Northeast Swale, Peturrson’s out over a representative part of Ravine, Saskatoon Natural the population. The site location Grassland, and Wanuskewin and the following conditions of Heritage Park. For more details the population were recorded: on the distribution of A. patens in elevation (obtained using a Saskatchewan refer to the study Garmin eTrex handheld GPS by Kricsfalusy et al.7 unit), aspect, slope position, percent vegetation cover, litter, On 19 July 2011, we sampled a bare soil, and type and degree of patch of fescue prairie on private disturbance (grazing, trampling, land about 25 km northwest of burning, burrowing, and invasive Hafford which is located within species). All higher vascular the Redberry Lake Biosphere plant species within the plot were Reserve area (Figure 1). In the recorded, along with their percent process, we found a flowering cover. population of A. patens growing Soil samples were taken so that on a heavily grazed pasture that they contained a mix of the upper was separated from the fescue 30 cm horizon where the roots of prairie by a fence. Some of the A. patens are mainly distributed. plants were evidently flowering Rangeland type was estimated repeatedly, because they bore based on land surface and soil well-formed seed heads from profile examination according to spring flowering as well as newly Thorpe.14 opened flowers. The new flowers were smaller and paler in colour RESULTS & DISCUSSION than those we had observed Taxonomic Considerations in other populations during the A. patens is commonly regular April-May flowering known under several names season. Because of this unusual in different parts of the world, mid-summer flowering event, we such as prairie crocus, prairie re-visited this site next year, on 7 smoke, prairie pasqueflower, July 2012. This time there was no eastern pasqueflower, observed mid-summer flowering, American pasqueflower, and only a few plants had flowered European pasqueflower, sticky and fruited earlier in the spring. pasqueflower, pulsatille, pulsatille multifide, crocus anemone, Sampling Approach cutleaf anemone, gosling plant, We performed a detailed survey lionsbeard, wild crocus, windflower 71 (3) September 2013 137 Figure 1. Location of the study population of Anemone patens near Hafford, Saskatchewan (N 52°50’32” W 107°39’39”). and others. A. patens belongs to crocus of Europe, which in fact the buttercup or crowfoot family belongs to the genus Crocus in (Ranunculaceae). It is interesting the iris family (Iridaceae). that the major common name, prairie crocus, is incorrect and While the vast majority of misleading from a scientific point taxonomic treatments of the flora of view. It was given to this plant of Europe and Asia include this by the European settlers that taxon under the genus Pulsatilla colonized the American prairies, Miller, most American authors as it reminded them of the true prefer to place it in the genus 138 Blue Jay Anemone L. According to Dutton by G.A. Stevenson, hence the et al.,15 A. patens is represented name. Later, this form was found by the var. multifida in North in two different locations near America. However, there still Carlyle, Saskatchewan by Silcox remains some controversy over in 1995 (#142755 SASK)19 and in the taxonomic status of A. patens. 1998 (#145264 SASK).19 We also Review of the major treatments observed a few plants identified and existing databases of the flora as f. stevensonis during our field of Canada shows that the primary surveys in the city of Saskatoon name for this taxon until the (Northeast Swale) in 2012. late–20th century was A. patens var. wolfgangiana, after which the Features of Life Cycle majority of sources have used A. The mid-summer flowering patens var. multifida. Although individuals in the population of A. patens var. wolfgangiana is A. patens located northwest of still being used by some authors Hafford (see Figure 1) were found (Table 1), A. patens var. multifida to have abnormally light-coloured has priority and it should be (almost white) tepals, in contrast applied as the legitimate name in to the normal pale lilac flowers. modern floristic treatments. Although looking very similar to the plants with white flowers identified There are two “atypical” colour as A. patens f. stevensonis, the forms of A. patens, with rose individuals in the study population and white flowers respectively cannot be classified as belonging (Figure 2). A. patens var. rosea, to this form. They are most likely characterized by pink flowers, has individuals with bleached flowers. been described by Cockerell16 in Because of the late flowering these North America. We found some plants were exposed to higher plants belonging to the var. rosea solar radiation and temperature during our field surveys in the city regimes than in the spring which of Saskatoon (Crocus Prairie) caused flower bleaching. in 2011. Albino individuals of A. patens have been described as The mid-summer time of var. albo–lutea in Europe17 and f. flowering (July) was also highly stevensonis in North America.18 unusual, given that the normal The holotype of the latter form is flowering ofA. patens in the region deposited in the AAFC National occurs from April to early May.7 Collection of Vascular Plants and To the best of our knowledge, the specimen was collected in no records exist of en masse 1960 near Brandon, Manitoba flowering of A.