About 120 species of perennials found in most temperate regions of the world, but particularly the Northern Hemisphere. They may be tuberous or rhizomatous with mostly basal and long-stalked leaves, palmately or pinnately divided, generally lobed and toothed; stem leaves generally three, aggregated into a whorl (involucre) below the flower(s), like the basal leaves, though often smaller and short-stalked or sessile. Flowers solitary or several in an umbel, sometimes, especially in the larger species, with a branched inflorescence. Sepals large and conspicuous, petal-like, 5-20 (called petals in the following descriptions); true petals and nectaries absent. Stamens numerous. Fruit a head of single-seeded achenes, hairy or hairless, sometimes embedded in a mass of woolly hairs. The genus Fulsatilla is sometimes included in Anemone; however, botanically the two genera are very distinct over most of their range and are here kept separate. Fulsatilla differs primarily in the presence of nectariferous staminodes outside the true stamens and the long feathery stylar-appendage at the top of each achene. Hepatica differs primarily from both Anemone and Fulsatilla in the presence of three sepal-like bracts immediately beneath the flowers.
The small species described are ideal for the rock garden, raised bed, scree and alpine house. All are hardy but the tuberous rooted sorts, especially the Asiatic ones require a dry summer rest period and are best grown in the alpine house or bulb frame. The tubers of some of the European and Mediterranean species can be dried and sold like other 'bulbs', in particular A, blanda, A coronaria, A. hortensis and A. X fulgens; when large these tubers can be divided with a sharp knife. Seed of most species should be sown the moment it is ripe, indeed in some species it appears to have a rather short period of viability. Seeds of species with woolly fruits are difficult to sow as they adhere to each other closely, however, rubbing them gently in sharp sand will help to separate them. Seedlings are slow to develop and are best left undisturbed at least for the first year. Rhizomatous species such as A. nemorosa can be increased by carefully lifting and dividing the rhizomes. Fleshy rooted species can be increased by root cuttings in some instances.
a, A. blanda; b, A. narcissifolia; c, A. obtusiloba;