Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus kamtschaticus |
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alpine buttercup |
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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 from short caudices or rhizomes, not rooting nodally, glabrous, not bulbous-based. |
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. |
blades circular to ovate or obovate, undivided, 0.8-2.6 × 0.6-1.4 cm, margins entire or serrulate, apex obtuse or rounded. |
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. |
receptacle glabrous; sepals spreading, 4-8 × 2-4 mm, glabrous; petals yellow, 5-12 × 1-3 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. |
depressed-hemispheric or -conic, 3-4 × 5 mm; achenes 2-2.6 × 1-1.4 mm, glabrous; beak persistent, lanceolate, straight, 0.8-1.2 mm. |
2 | n = 16. |
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Tuberous | roots absent. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus kamtschaticus |
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Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer (May–Aug). | |
Habitat | Spring-summer (May–Sep). Alpine and subalpine meadows, usually around melting snowbanks | Tundra on moist slopes |
Elevation | 2500-4000 m (8200-13100 ft) | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
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AK; Asia |
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. Oxygraphis |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. adoneus var. alpinus, R. eschscholtzii var. adoneus, R. eschscholtzii var. alpinus | Oxygraphis glacialis |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15: 56. (1863) | de Candolle: Syst. Nat. 1: 302. (1817) |
Web links |