Stout perennial with a thick rootstock covered by fibrous remains of leaves from previous years. Scape 25-60 cm high, sulcate, densely covered with patent to slightly retrorse hairs becoming yellow on dried specimens after sometime. Petioles of radical leaves nearly as long as the scape, or much shorter, even more densely hairy. Blade upto 8 cm in diameter, suborbicular to reniform, with a narrow sinus at the base, the 3 primary segments connate for about one third, again deeply trifid (till the middle), or the lateral ones 2-fid, margin deeply incised, dentate to lobed, teeth or lobes shortly awned, covered by long appressed hairs on both surfaces but more densely on the upper side. Involucral leaves 3, sessile, free to the base, deeply 3-fid, the lobes incised. Peduncles several, sometimes with short pedicels (upto 2 cm) with an involucel similar to the involucre, but reduced in size and degree of partition. Flowers umbellate, white, about 20-25 (-30) mm in diameter. Sepals ovate, slightly acuminate to obovate, hairy outside. Carpels glabrous, broadly ovate, with a straight to slightly recurved beak.

Fl. Per.: July-August.

Type: Nepal, Gossainthan, Wallich s.n.

D ir: B-7 Kalkot, 3500 m, M. Alain Khan 29 (RAW), Hazara: Kaghan vy., July 1899, Inayat Khan s.n. (RAW), Kashmir, Pir Panjal, 10.8.1907, Inayat s.n. (KUH).

Distribution: Pakistan, The Himalaya from Kashmir to Sikkim.

A polymorphic species as far as the leaf size, degree of incision and number of primary leaf segments and flowers per scape are concerned. Anemone lowariensis according to the authors (l.c.) differs from Anemone polyanthes in the 3-lobed smaller leaves, few-flowered inflorescence (1-3) and smaller achenes (6 x 4 mm). Specimens seen and conforming to Anemone polyanthes but with fewer flowers [3-5 in M. Alam Khan 29, R.R. Stewart 4797] or small achenes [6 x 4 mm in R.R. Stewart 9187, M. Alain Khan 29] occasionally occur. Similarly Anemone abdurrehmanii is not convincingly distinct from Anemone polyanthes. The characters used to distinguish this species are the smaller 3-lobed deeply divided leaves and fewer flowers (4). As noted above these intergrade in the size and number of primary leaf segments and number of flowers per scape. In M. Alam Khan 29 the leaves are deeply 3-lobed. The occurrence of white pellucid dots on the upper surface of the leaf is not an unusual character for Anemone punctulata. It is occasionally observed in Anemone polyanthes such as in R.R. Stewart 18396 and M. Alan Khan 29. It has been observed in other species as well. i.e. Anemone tetrasepala (R.R. Stewart 17844). The species Anemone mirajabii Qureshi and Chaudhri, op.cit. (Type: Upper Mohair, 8 miles from Burawal, c. 2900 m, Mir Ajab & Tanwir Ashraf 1608, ISL), is probably only a variable form of Anemone polyanthes. According to the authors (op.cit.) the species differs from Anemone polyanthes in the smaller leaves (2.5-4.5 cm) and fewer flowers/scape (3-5). Similar specimens of Anemone polyanthes are: M. Nath 2627 from Hath (Simla) & R.R. & I.D. Stewart 2639 from Sach Pass (Chamba).

More common in eastern Himalaya. Found from 2500-3800 m.