Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus sabinei |
|
---|---|---|
alpine buttercup |
Sabine buttercup |
|
Roots | slender, 0.8-1.4 mm thick. |
slender, 0.3-0.8 mm thick. |
Stems | erect from large caudices, 9-25 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers. |
erect or decumbent, 1-12 cm, sparsely pilose, each with 1-3 flowers. |
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. |
persistent, blades broadly obovate to transversely elliptic, 3-lobed or -parted, 0.9-3 × 0.8-3.4 cm, segments undivided or again lobed, base obtuse, margins entire, apices of segments rounded to rounded-obtuse. |
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. |
pedicels pilose; receptacle pilose; sepals 4-7 × 2-3 mm, abaxially pilose, hairs colorless; petals 5, 5-8 × 3-4 mm; nectary scale glabrous. |
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. |
cylindric, 6-9 × 4 mm; achenes 1.2-1.4 × 0.8-1 mm, glabrous; beak lance-subulate, straight or curved, 0.4-0.6 mm. |
2 | n = 16. |
|
2n | = 64. |
|
Ranunculus adoneus |
Ranunculus sabinei |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer (Jul–Aug). | |
Habitat | Spring-summer (May–Sep). Alpine and subalpine meadows, usually around melting snowbanks | Slopes and hummocks in tundra, in sandy or gravelly soil |
Elevation | 2500-4000 m (8200-13100 ft) | 0 m (0 ft) |
Distribution |
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
|
AK; NT; YT; Greenland |
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.) |
An alternative interpretation of this taxon is given by E. Hultén (1971) who considered it to be the hybrid Ranunculus nivalis × R. pygmaeus, and considered all specimens referable here to be hybrids or members of stabilized populations of hybrid origin. (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. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. adoneus var. alpinus, R. eschscholtzii var. adoneus, R. eschscholtzii var. alpinus | R. pygmaeus subsp. sabinei |
Name authority | A. Gray: Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 15: 56. (1863) | R. Brown: J. Voy. N.-W. Passage, Bot., 264. (1824) |
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