western pasque flower
Ranunculus
Western pasque flower is a stocky, hairy perennial wildflower 10-30 cm tall in flower and 30-60 cm tall in fruit. Both basal and stem leaves are finely divided into narrow segments. The single, large, terminal flowers open before the leaves have expanded. There are no petals and the 5-6 showy white sepals surround a whorl of many yellow stamens and many distinct greenish carpels. In fruit, the many styles become long, white, and feathery, leading to alternative common names of "mop-top" and "tow-headed baby." Like many of the members of the Ranunculaceae, western pasque flower is poisonous. Western pasque flower is common in subalpine meadows and slopes in the Cascades and Olympics.