Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus allegheniensis |
|
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alpine buttercup |
Allegheny crowfoot, Allegheny Mountain buttercup |
|
Roots | slender, 0.8-1.4 mm thick. |
slender, 0.2-0.8 mm thick. |
Stems | erect from large caudices, 9-25 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers. |
erect or nearly erect, 10-50 cm, glabrous, each with 9-40 flowers. |
Basal leaves | persistent, blades circular to reniform in outline, 2-3x-dissected into linear segments, 0.9-2.5 × 1.1-2.8 cm, base obtuse, margins entire, apices of segments narrowly rounded to acute. |
persistent, blades reniform, outer undivided, inner 3-lobed to 3-foliolate, 1-3.5 × 1.5-4.5 cm, base truncate or cordate, margins crenate, apex rounded or obtuse. |
Flowers | pedicels glabrous; receptacle glabrous; sepals 4-11 × 3-7 mm, abaxially sparsely pilose, hairs colorless; petals 5-10, 8-15 × 8-19 mm; nectary scale glabrous. |
pedicels pubescent or glabrous; receptacle sparsely pilose; sepals 2-3 × 1-2 mm, abaxially sparsely hispid, hairs colorless; petals 5, 1-2 × 0.5-1 mm; nectary scale glabrous. |
Heads of achenes | ovoid, 6-12 × 5-9 mm; achenes 1.8-2.4 × 1-1.4 mm, glabrous or nearly so; beak subulate, straight, 1.2-1.7 mm. |
globose to ovoid, 3-7 × 3-5 mm; achenes 1.5-2 × 1.4-1.8 mm, glabrous; beak slender, strongly curved, 0.6-1 mm. |
2 | n = 16. |
|
2n | = 16. |
|
Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus allegheniensis |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Jul). | |
Habitat | Spring-summer (May–Sep). Alpine and subalpine meadows, usually around melting snowbanks | Woods and pastures |
Elevation | 2500-4000 m (8200-13100 ft) | 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
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CT; KY; MA; MD; NC; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WV
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Discussion | Most collections of Ranunculus adoneus from Colorado, including the type specimen, tend to be small, with narrow leaf segments (only 0.5-1 mm wide) and large flowers. The more widespread form, with leaf segments 1-2 mm wide and more variable flowers, has been called R. adoneus var. alpinus. The leaf and flower characteristics are very poorly correlated, however, and specimens referable to var. alpinus vary greatly in stature and flower size, so the two forms scarcely merit formal recognition. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. adoneus var. alpinus, R. eschscholtzii var. adoneus, R. eschscholtzii var. alpinus | |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15: 56. (1863) | Britton: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 22: 224. (1895) |
Web links |