Pasqueflower (Anemone patens var. multifida)

Flowers open in April shortly after snow-melt, before leaves emerge; tulip-shaped, with 5 to 8 lavender, petal-like sepals and yellow centers. Leaves long-stemmed, deeply divided into narrow, lobed/toothed segments. Fruits with feathery plumes. Dry prairies; dry, rocky, gravelly sites. Used medicinally by American Indians. State flower of South Dakota and provincial flower of Manitoba.