Ranunculus adoneus
Ranunculus eschscholtzii
alpine buttercup
Eschscholtz's buttercup, snow buttercup, subalpine buttercup
slender, 0.8-1.4 mm thick.
slender, 0.4-1.6 mm thick.
erect from large caudices, 9-25 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers.
erect or decumbent from short or long caudices, 4-27 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers.
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 or cordate to obovate or broadly oblong, lobed or 3-parted, 0.5-4.1 × 0.8-3.7 cm, segments again 1(-2)×-lobed, base obtuse to cordate, apices of segments rounded in outline.
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 glabrous;
receptacle glabrous or sparsely pilose;
sepals 4-8 × 2-6 mm, abaxially glabrous or pilose;
petals 5-8, 6-16 × 4-16 mm;
nectary scale glabrous.
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.
cylindric or ovoid, 5-10 × 4-7 mm;
achenes 1.4-2 × 1-1.6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;
beak lanceolate or subulate, straight (sometimes curved when immature), 0.6-1.8 mm.
n = 16.
Ranunculus adoneus
Ranunculus eschscholtzii
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.)
Varieties 6 (5 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves acute or acuminate. | → 2 |
1. Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves rounded or obtuse (sometimes broadly rounded-acute). | → 3 |
2. Leaf blade reniform, base truncate or cordate. | var. suksdorfii |
2. Leaf blade obovate to broadly oblong, base obtuse or rounded. | var. eximius |
3. Middle segments of many basal leaves lobed and toothed or 2×-lobed. | var. trisectus |
3. Middle segments of basal leaves unlobed or 1×-lobed. | → 4 |
4. Caudices with few or no persistent leaf bases; basal leaves always 3-parted; widespread in w North America. | var. eschscholtzii |
4. Caudices densely clothed with persistent leaf bases; basal leaves sometimes parted but usually merely lobed; California and w Nevada. | var. oxynotus |
CalFlora
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
BC
OR
WA
Flora NW
SW CO Wildflowers
