The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

hairy buttercup

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 sardous

Ranunculus muricatus

Flowering time May-July April-June
Habitat Disturbed areas, fields and open woods. Ditches and other moist places, often on cultivated land.
Distribution
Occurring west of the Cascade in Washington; British Columbia to northern California; also in the eastern United States, Europe, Australia and Pacific Islands.
[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 Introduced from Europe
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. 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
Web links