Ranunculus adoneus
Ranunculus hispidus
alpine buttercup
bristly buttercup, hispid crowfoot, renoncule hispide
slender, 0.8-1.4 mm thick.
never tuberous.
erect from large caudices, 9-25 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers.
erect or decumbent, sometimes rooting nodally, hispid or strigose, base not bulbous.
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.
blades ovate to deltate in outline, 3-foliolate or outer blades merely 3-parted, 2-13.4 × 2.4-16.8 cm, leaflets undivided to lobed or parted, ultimate segments narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate to circular, margins toothed, apex acuminate to rounded.
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.
receptacle hispid;
sepals spreading or reflexed, 4-10 × 2-5 mm, hispid;
petals 5, yellow, 8-16 × 3-9 mm.
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.
hemispheric to short-ovoid, 6-10 × 7-10 mm;
achenes 2.2-5.2 × 2-3.8 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib or broad wing 0.1-1.2 mm wide;
beak persistent, lance-subulate, straight or somewhat curved, 0.8-2.6 mm.
n = 16.
Ranunculus adoneus
Ranunculus hispidus
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 3
Until recently, the varieties of Ranunculus hispidus were usually treated as distinct species. Arguments for restoring species status to R. hispidus var. nitidus were given by G. L. Nesom (1993).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stems erect or nearly erect, never rooting at nodes. | var. hispidus |
1. Stems decumbent, sometimes rooting at nodes. | → 2 |
2. Sepals spreading or reflexed from base; achene margins 0.1–0.2 mm broad. | var. caricetorum |
2. Sepals reflexed 1 mm above base; achene margins 0.4–1.2 mm broad. | var. nitidus |
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