Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Pulsatilla vulgaris

Family

Ranunculaceae

Flowering season

April to May

English distribution

It is thinly scattered in eastern counties from Lincolnshire

southwards, and in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

See the BSBI distribution map for Pasqueflower

Habitat

It grows on short turf on lime, especially on south-facing

slopes.

It can also be a garden escape.

Description

Pasqueflower is a rare, native, perennial, rhizomatous

hairy herb growing up to 30cm.

The flowers are solitary and erect on long stems.

Flowers are up to 5cm across and made up of a whorl of 6

purple, petaloid sepals.

There are numerous yellow stamens with globular anthers.

Outer anthers are sterile and produce nectar.

There are numerous carpels with yellow green styles and

purple stigmas.

The styles elongate and become feathery and persistent

in fruit.

The flowers droop to form a bell shape.

There is a ring of leaf-like linear bracts below the flower.

The leaves form a rosette and are linear, pinnate and

hairy.