Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus arvensis |
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alpine buttercup |
corn buttercup, devil-on-all-sides, field buttercup, hungerweed |
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Roots | slender, 0.8-1.4 mm thick. |
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Stems | erect from large caudices, 9-25 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers. |
erect or ascending, sparsely pilose. |
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. |
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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. |
pedicellate; receptacle sparsely hispid; sepals 5, spreading, 4-7 × 1-2 mm, strigose; petals 5, 5-8 × 2-4 mm. |
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. |
discoid, 8-9 mm across; achenes 5-8 per head, 4-6.4 × 2.8-4.4 mm, faces and margin covered with long spines, glabrous; beak lance-subulate, straight, 1.6-3.8 mm. |
2 | n = 16. |
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Basal | and lower cauline leaf blades obovate to rhombic in outline, 3-parted or 3(-5)-foliolate, 1.8-5.2 × 1.6-4.2 cm, leaflets oblanceolate or divided into oblanceolate or linear segments, leaflet base narrowly acuminate, margins entire or distally dentate, apex rounded or acuminate. |
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Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus arvensis |
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Phenology | Flowering spring (Mar–Jun). | |
Habitat | Spring-summer (May–Sep). Alpine and subalpine meadows, usually around melting snowbanks | Grasslands, ephemeral pools, disturbed areas |
Elevation | 2500-4000 m (8200-13100 ft) | 0-1200 m (0-3900 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
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AR; CA; DC; GA; ID; IL; KS; LA; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OR; PA; SC; TN; UT; WA; South America; native to Eurasia; Pacific Islands; Australia [Introduced in North America]
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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. Echinella |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. adoneus var. alpinus, R. eschscholtzii var. adoneus, R. eschscholtzii var. alpinus | R. arvensis var. tuberculatus |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15: 56. (1863) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 555. (1753) |
Web links |
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