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kidney-leaf buttercup

Habit Usually glabrous perennial from slender, fibrous roots, the stems several, one or more of them stolonous and freely-rooting, 1-4 dm. long, the others scapose, 5-30 cm. tall.
Leaves

Basal leaves with petioles 1-5 times the length of the blades, the blades cordate-lanceolate to rhombic, 1.5-3.5 cm. long and nearly as broad, 3-lobed at the tip;

cauline leaves few, considerably reduced, alternate.

Flowers

Flowers 1-several on the scapes, bracteate;

pedicels 2-6 cm. long;

sepals 5, greenish-yellow, 2-4 mm. long;

petals 5, pale yellow, 5-8 mm. long;

nectary scale glabrous, about 0.4 mm. long, forming a pocket, laterally attached full length;

receptacle cylindric, 3-10 mm. long;

stamens 15-30;

pistils 50-200.

Fruits

Achenes glabrous, laterally compressed, 2- to 4-nerved on each face, 1.5 mm. long; stylar beak stout, straight, 0.5 mm. long.

Ranunculus cymbalaria

Ranunculus abortivus

Flowering time May-August July
Habitat Ditches, marshes and muddy meadowlands, often where saline or alkaline. Montane forest understory and meadows.
Distribution
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Great Plains, Great Lakes, and northeastern North America.
[WildflowerSearch map]
Occurring in the northeastern region of Washington; Yukon Territory to the southern Rocky Mountains and Gulf Coast, east to the Atlantic coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
R. abortivus, R. acris, R. alismifolius, R. aquatilis, R. arvensis, R. bulbosus, R. californicus, R. cardiophyllus, R. eschscholtzii, R. flabellaris, R. flammula, R. glaberrimus, R. gmelinii, R. grayi, R. hebecarpus, R. inamoenus, R. macounii, R. muricatus, R. occidentalis, R. orthorhynchus, R. parviflorus, R. pensylvanicus, R. populago, R. pygmaeus, R. repens, R. sardous, R. sceleratus, R. triternatus, R. uncinatus
R. acris, R. alismifolius, R. aquatilis, R. arvensis, R. bulbosus, R. californicus, R. cardiophyllus, R. eschscholtzii, R. flabellaris, R. flammula, R. glaberrimus, R. gmelinii, R. grayi, R. hebecarpus, R. inamoenus, R. macounii, R. muricatus, R. occidentalis, R. orthorhynchus, R. parviflorus, R. pensylvanicus, R. populago, R. pygmaeus, R. repens, R. sardous, R. sceleratus, R. triternatus, R. uncinatus
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