Anemone blanda

Anemone blanda Schott & Kotschy (Anemonoides blanda (Schott et Kotschy) Holub) (Balkans) – A rare, locally naturalized escape from or relic of cultivation. Discovered in Belgium much later than the similar Anemone apennina but now much more frequent. First documented from Laarne in 1984 (Verloove 2006) and at present known from rather numerous, widely scattered localities. An up-to-date overview of observations is available here: https://waarnemingen.be/soort/view/6426. Most records are from parks, public lawns, old estates and graveyards and obviously refer to relics of cultivation. Some claims, however, require confirmation since this species and A. apennina are often confused. Compared with the latter A. blanda has glabrous sepals, pedicels with patent hairs and pendent fruiting heads.

There are signs that, as a result of climate change, this species will further increase and naturalize in the next years (Richter 2004).

Selected literature

Hepper F.N. (1972) Anemone blanda. Curtis's Bot. Mag. 178(3): tab. 598.

Mathew B. (1982) Plant awards, 1981-1982. Anemone blanda Schott et Kotschy var. scythinica hort. A.M. Quart. Bull. Alp. Gard. Soc. 50(4): 294-296.

Richter M. (2004) Anemona blanda (Schott & Kotschy) on graveyards at Stuttgart: reason for its spread. In: Kühn I. & Klotz S. (eds.), Biological invasions - challenges for science. Berlin: 129-134.

Verloove F. (2006) Catalogue of neophytes in Belgium (1800-2005). Scripta Botanica Belgica 39: 89 p. [available online at: http://alienplantsbelgium.be/sites/alienplantsbelgium.be/files/tabel_2.pdf]