Pasqueflower - Pusatilla vulgaris

Scientific Name: Pulsatilla vulgaris (Ranunculaceae).

English Name: Pasqueflower (Buttercup family).

French Name: L'Anémone pulsatille(='wind beaten anemone') .

5 Key Characters:

• hairy.
• feathery leaves.
• large deep purple flowers with bright yellow anthers.
• a whorl of bracts on the stem under the flower.
• seeds have silky plumes.

Lookalikes:

Habitat: South facing chalk grassland slopes.

Flowering Period: April-May.

Status: Very rare. Threatened by habitat degradation due to farming changes and the cessation of grazing sheep on slopes that are too steep to plough. See post on Days on the Claise regarding the problems of managing sites to suit this species.

Photographed by Loire Valley Nature:

Pasqueflower growing on the Puy de Besnard, near Chinon.

Most parts of the plant are covered in silver hairs.

The bright yellow anthers provide a striking contrast to the deep purple sepals.