Anemone vesicatoria

Anemone vesicatoria, commonly known as the blisterleaf, in Afrikaans as the kaatjiedrieblaar (kaatjie three leaf) or brandblaar and previously scientifically as Knowltonia vesicatoria, is a perennial reaching 1,2 m in height.

The generic name, Anemone, is derived from the Greek word, anemos, meaning wind, referring to some of the species that open their flowers when the wind blows. The specific name, vesicatoria, is derived from the Latin word vesica meaning bladder, referring to the skin blisters sometimes caused by touching the leaves and some other parts of the plant. (Some sources have not accepted the change from Knowltonia to Anemone.)

The species distribution is in the Western Cape from the Bokkeveld to the Eastern Cape.

The habitat is scrubland, forest-floors, woody ravines and renosterveld kloofs. There are three subspecies, the one in picture probably subsp. vesicatoria. The habitat populations of all three subspecies are deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

Subsp. grossa may be a bigger plant, said to be the preferred one in horticulture. The plant is not much used horticulturally though, as it grows very slowly. It is propagated from seed and does well where it receives water all year round (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; iNaturalist; Wikipedia; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).