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spiny-fruit buttercup

Habit Mostly glabrous annual from stout, fibrous roots, the 1-several stems simple below and forked above, 1-4.5 dm. tall, often hollow.
Leaves

Basal leaves long-petiolate, the blades reniform to cordate, 1.5-6 cm. long and broad, shallowly divided into 3 lobed segments;

cauline leaves similar, short-petiolate.

Flowers

Pedicels single-flowered, stout, often recurved, 1-6 cm. long;

sepals 5, membranous, spreading to reflexed, 4-7 mm. long;

petals 5, yellow, narrowly obovate, 5-8 mm. long;

nectary scale oval, about half as broad as the basal portion of the petal, the lateral margins attach half their length;

receptacle sub-globose;

stamens about 10;

pistils usually 5.

Fruits

Achenes strongly flattened, the faces with short spines; stylar beak stout, flattened, curved, about 2.5 mm. long.

Ranunculus fascicularis

Ranunculus muricatus

Flowering time April-June
Habitat Ditches and other moist places, often on cultivated land.
Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Washington to California, east across North America in scattered locations.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from Europe
Conservation status 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. 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. 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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