''Anemonoides lancifolia'' (formerly known as ''Anemone lancifolia''), the lanceleaf anemone or mountain thimbleweed, is an

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

plant species in the family

Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (, buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family (biology), family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 spec ...

. The genus occurs in the Southeastern United States. Plants grow 20 to 30 cm tall, growing from a horizontally-orientated rhizome, flowering mid-spring to early summer. The flowers have white sepals that are 12–20 mm long. This species much resembles '' Anemonoides quinquefolia'', of which it was formerly considered a subspecies, except that it is larger growing. After flowering, fruits called

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple fruit, simple dry fruits, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and Dehi ...

s are formed in a small cluster; each achene is 3.5–5 mm long, lacks wings and has a straight or partly curved beak that is 1–1.5 mm long. Both the Latin and common names reference the leaf shape, with narrower leaflets, with a distinctive serration when compared to ''A. quinquefolia''. It is native to the eastern United States in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, and

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. ''Anemone lancifolia'' is normally found growing in rich damp soils in woods.

References

lancifolia Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Ranunculaceae-stub