Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus lapponicus |
|
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alpine buttercup |
Lapland buttercup, renoncule de lapponie |
|
Roots | slender, 0.8-1.4 mm thick. |
|
Stems | erect from large caudices, 9-25 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers. |
prostrate, buried, 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 reniform, deeply 3-parted, 1.1-2.6 × 1.6-4.3 cm, segments undivided or 1x cleft, margins crenate, apex 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 or reflexed from base, 4-7 × 2-5 mm, glabrous; petals yellow, 5-6 × 2-3 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. |
hemispheric, 5-7 × 8-10 mm; achenes 3.8-4.2 × 2-2.2 mm, glabrous; beak persistent, lanceolate, curved, tip hooked, 1.6-2.4 mm. |
2 | n = 16. |
|
Tuberous | roots absent. |
|
2n | = 16. |
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Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus lapponicus |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Jul). | |
Habitat | Spring-summer (May–Sep). Alpine and subalpine meadows, usually around melting snowbanks | Boggy places and lakesides in tundra, muskeg, and boreal forest |
Elevation | 2500-4000 m (8200-13100 ft) | 0-900 m (0-3000 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
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AK; ME; MI; MN; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
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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.) |
Starving individuals among western Eskimo groups ate the soaked plant of Ranunculus lapponicus as a dietary aid before consuming other food (D. E. Moerman 1986). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Coptidium |
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) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 553. (1753) |
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