Prairie Porn II: The Ranunculaceae

"No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist
wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine"
-John Keats

Many read this selection from Keats' poem "Ode on Melancholy" as a caution concerning the nature of melancholy, that sadness can be productive and death is far too permanent. Hence his warning on the use of wolf's bane, a European plant of the Ranunculaceae family (Aconitum nepellus) famed for its poisonous qualities. A. napellus, also known as monk's hood due to its distinctive zygomorphic flowers, is mentioned countless times in European literature and history from the mythical musings of Ovid (in Metamorphese Ovid explains how this plant was spawned from the saliva of the multi-headed hell-hound Cerebus) to the early medical texts of Dioscorides and botanical inquiries of Theophrastus. Some regard this powerful plant with reverence for its medicinal qualities, and others with fear for its potency as a poison. Wolf's Bane provides a good example of the duality of plant metabolites and their usage; the same substances may be used for healing or for violence.

As explained above, Aconitum is a member of the Ranunculaceae, a plant family characterized by a generally herbaceous growth form, often undifferentiated petals and sepals in specific floral arrangements (many have what are known as "tepals"), and the presence of the toxin Protoanemonin in most plant parts. One of the more charismatic members of this family and a landmark of the Wisconsin prairies is Anemone patens or the pasque flower. To find one, go out to a very dry prairie (mostly Sate Natural areas in Wisconsin) in spring and scan the ground for hairy purple petals poking out of the grasses, they often form colonies of sorts so if you see one you will likely see more. The naturalist and ecological philosopher Aldo Leopold had this to say about A. patens:

 "For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech"

Pasque Flower, photo courtesy of Royston Wildlife http://www.roystonwildlife.com/page9.htm

Some of the more common members of the Ranunculaceae that can be found in Wisconsin's prairies are of the same genus; Anemone cylindrica and A. candaensis. In slightly more shaded prairies or oak openings one may also find another Ranunculaceae, Aquilegia canadensis. 

Photo I took of an Aquilegia in California to show flower structure

 

A. canadensis (also known as Canada Columbine) is a particularly distinctive forb with three smooth lobed leaflets suspended on a petiole of variable length and showy red/orange flowers whose arrangement has been likened to an eagle's claw (hence the genus name). Some may recognize this species' flowers from childhood when they bit the small nectary glands on the tips of the petals releasing the sweet liquid (probably meant for some proboscis bearing pollinator). This is a nice treat while wandering the prairie or savanna but be warned that the rest of the plant may not treat you quite as well as the nectaries. Most other parts of the plant contains cyanide derivatives and can be very dangerous if ingested without proper preparation. However, many Native American tribes are known to have used both the roots and seeds of this plant for herbal remedies treating anything from headaches to gastrointestinal conditions and uterine bleeding. The ground dust from the seeds of some European species have also been used as a lice pesticide in human scalps

Aquilegia canadensis, courtesy of Wild Ginger Farm http://www.wildgingerfarm.com/Aquilegia.htm

D. carolinianum, courtesy of Texasprairie.org

If you are in Western Wisconsin and wandering in dry prairies or along woodlines you may be lucky enough to find a Delphinium. Supposedly these plants are becoming increasingly rare (I've only found these two or three times) and that is a shame because they are incredibly beautiful specimens. This genus (whose name comes from the Latin for dolphin) is comprised of over 300 species worldwide, but as far as I know we really only have one native to Wisconsin; D. carolinianum. Again, like most Ranunculaceae this plant is poisonous but its seeds were also used as an anti-lice treatment much like Aquilegia. The showy flowers come out in mid-summer and supposedly attract hummingbirds though I have not seen this myself. The flowers are easily seen as they are borne on a stalk that is typically devoid of leaves and form loose white clusters. The flowers are oddly shaped and fragile with a long nectary extending away from the petals and may exhibit a slight blue hue.

D. virescens (not WI native) for close-up of slower structure, courtesy of Missouriplants.org

These are just some of the many Ranunculaceae found in our prairies, and many more also exist in wooded or wetland areas. So next time you are surfing the plains for some high quality prairie porn, make sure to look for some of these fantastic plants.

Keep an eye out for the next installment, I think I've put off the Asteraceae for long enough!

-FibrousB