Ranunculus alismifolius |
Ranunculus uncinatus |
|||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
common water plantain buttercup, kidney-leaf buttercup, plantain-leaf buttercup, water-plantain buttercup |
hook fruit buttercup, little buttercup, woodland buttercup |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Roots | slender or fusiform-thickened basally, glabrous. |
never tuberous. |
||||||||||||||||||||
Stems | erect or ascending, not rooting nodally, glabrous or hirsute. |
erect, never rooting nodally, hispid or glabrous, base not bulbous. |
||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | basal leaf blades with base acute; proximal cauline leaf blades lanceolate, ovate, or elliptic, 1.8-14.1 × 0.7-2.9 cm, base acuminate to rounded, margins entire or serrulate, apex obtuse to acuminate. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Basal leaf | blades cordate to reniform in outline, 3-parted or sometimes 3-foliolate, 1.8-5.6 × 2.8-8.3 cm, segments again lobed, ultimate segments elliptic to lanceolate, margins toothed or crenate-toothed, apex acute to rounded-obtuse. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Inflorescences | bracts lanceolate. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | receptacle glabrous; sepals 5, spreading or reflexed from base, 2-6 × 1-4 mm, glabrous or hirsute; petals 5-12, 5-14 × 2-8 mm; nectary scales glabrous. |
receptacle glabrous; sepals reflexed or sometimes spreading, 2-3.5 × 1-2 mm, pubescent; petals 5, yellow, 2-4(-6) × 1-2(-3) mm. |
||||||||||||||||||||
Heads of achenes | hemispheric to globose, 3-7 × 4-8 mm; achenes 1.6-2.8 × 1.2-2 mm, glabrous or rarely hispid; beak lance-subulate, straight or weakly curved, 0.4-1.2 mm. |
globose or hemispheric, 4-7 × 4-7 mm; achenes 2-2.8 × 1.6-2 mm, glabrous or sparsely hispid, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide; beak persistent, lanceolate, curved, hooked, 1.2-2.5 mm. |
||||||||||||||||||||
2n | = 28. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Ranunculus alismifolius |
Ranunculus uncinatus |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Phenology | Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Aug). | |||||||||||||||||||||
Habitat | Moist meadows or woods, often along streams | |||||||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 0-3400 m (0-11200 ft) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distribution |
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
|
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Discussion | Varieties 6 (6 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Plants with hispid stems and achenes are often separated as Ranunculus uncinatus var. parviflorus; these two characters are poorly correlated, however, and sometimes vary between plants in a single collection. Ranunculus uncinatus was reported from northeastern Alberta and adjacent Northwest Territories by H. J. Scoggan (1978-1979, part 3). The specimens have hairy receptacles and straight, broad achene beaks; they apparently represent small individuals of R. macounii. Some Native Americans used Ranunculus uncinatus as an antrirheumatic, a diaphoretic, a disinfectant, and an orthopedic aid, as well as in herbal steam baths intended to soothe sore muscles and rheumatism (D. E. Moerman 1986). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
||||||||||||||||||||
Key |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Flammula | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Synonyms | R. bongardii, R. bongardii var. tenellus, R. uncinatus var. earlei, R. uncinatus var. parviflorus | |||||||||||||||||||||
Name authority | Geyer ex Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 295. (1849) | D. Don: in G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 35. (1831) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Web links |
|