Ranunculus allegheniensis |
Ranunculus ficaria |
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Allegheny crowfoot, Allegheny Mountain buttercup |
ficaire, fig buttercup, lesser celandine, pilewort, renoncule ficaire |
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Roots | slender, 0.2-0.8 mm thick. |
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Stems | erect or nearly erect, 10-50 cm, glabrous, each with 9-40 flowers. |
erect to decumbent, not rooting nodally, glabrous, not bulbous-based, spheric or ellipsoid bulbils sometimes formed in leaf axils. |
Basal leaves | persistent, blades reniform, outer undivided, inner 3-lobed to 3-foliolate, 1-3.5 × 1.5-4.5 cm, base truncate or cordate, margins crenate, apex rounded or obtuse. |
simple and undivided, blades cordate to deltate or semicircular, 1.8-3.7 × 2-4 cm, base cordate, margins entire or crenate, apex rounded or obtuse. |
Flowers | pedicels pubescent or glabrous; receptacle sparsely pilose; sepals 2-3 × 1-2 mm, abaxially sparsely hispid, hairs colorless; petals 5, 1-2 × 0.5-1 mm; nectary scale glabrous. |
receptacle glabrous; sepals spreading, saccate at extreme base, 4-9 × 3-6 mm, glabrous; petals yellow, 10-15 × 3-7 mm. |
Heads of achenes | globose to ovoid, 3-7 × 3-5 mm; achenes 1.5-2 × 1.4-1.8 mm, glabrous; beak slender, strongly curved, 0.6-1 mm. |
hemispheric, 4-5 × 6-8 mm; achenes 2.6-2.8 × 1.8-2 mm, pubescent; beak absent. |
Tuberous | roots present. |
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2n | = 16. |
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Ranunculus allegheniensis |
Ranunculus ficaria |
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Phenology | Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Jul). | Flowering spring (Apr–May). |
Habitat | Woods and pastures | Shaded stream banks and moist disturbed areas |
Elevation | 0-1100 m (0-3600 ft) | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) |
Distribution |
CT; KY; MA; MD; NC; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WV
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CT; DC; IL; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; VA; WA; WV; BC; NF; ON; QC; native to Europe [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | In North America, Ranunculus ficaria seems to be expanding its range rapidly in areas with cool mesic climates. The species is extremely variable (especially in leaf size and stem posture), and many attempts have been made to divide it into varieties or subspecies (see P. D. Sell 1994). The different forms, however, intergrade extensively and the varieties are often impossible to distinguish. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. ficaria subsp. bulbifer, R. ficaria subsp. calthifolius, R. ficaria var. bulbifera | |
Name authority | Britton: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 22: 224. (1895) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 550. (1753) |
Web links |
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