Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus platensis |
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alpine buttercup |
prairie 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. |
decumbent, 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. |
sessile; receptacle glabrous or pilose; sepals 3, spreading, 1-2 × 0.5-1 mm, hirsute; petals 3, 1-2 × 0.5-0.8 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, 2-2.5 × 3-3.5 mm; achenes 10-15 per head, 1.3-1.7 × 1-1.3 mm, faces and proximal margin finely papillate, each papilla crowned with hooked bristle, otherwise glabrous; beak semicircular to deltate, curved, 0.2-0.5 mm. |
2 | n = 16. |
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Basal | and lower cauline leaf blades reniform, 3-parted, 0.8-1.7 × 1.2-2 cm, segment base cordate, margins dentate or lobulate, apex rounded-obtuse. |
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Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus platensis |
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Phenology | Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Apr). | |
Habitat | Spring-summer (May–Sep). Alpine and subalpine meadows, usually around melting snowbanks | Weed in disturbed areas, usually near coast |
Elevation | 2500-4000 m (8200-13100 ft) | 0-200 m (0-700 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
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AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; TX; native to South America (s Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina) [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 | |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15: 56. (1863) | A. Sprengel: in K. Sprengel, Syst. Veg. 5: 586. (1828) |
Web links |