Ranunculus basalticus
Ranunculus occidentalis
basalt buttercup
western buttercup
never tuberous.
erect to reclining, not rooting nodally, hirsute or sometimes pilose or glabrous, base not bulbous.
broadly ovate to semicircular or reniform in outline, 3-parted or -foliolate, 1.5-5.3 × 2.2-8 cm, segments usually again 1(-2)×-lobed, ultimate segments oblong or elliptic to lanceolate or oblanceolate, margins dentate (sometimes dentate-lobulate or entire), apex acute to rounded-obtuse.
receptacle glabrous;
sepals reflexed 2-3 mm above base, 4-7(-9) × 2-4 mm, hirsute;
petals 5-14, yellow, 5-13 × 1.5-8 mm.
hemispheric, 3-7 × 5-9 mm;
achenes 2.6-3.6(-4.8) × 1.8-3(-3.2) mm, glabrous, rarely hispid, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide;
beak persistent, lanceolate to lance-subulate, straight or curved, 0.4-2.2 mm.
Ranunculus basalticus
Ranunculus occidentalis
Varieties 7
The seeds of Ranunculus occidentalis were eaten by some Californian Indians. D. E. Moerman (1986) identified this taxon as an Aleut poison: juice of the flowers could be slipped into food to poison the person who ate it.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Petals 8-14; Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C. | var. hexasepalus |
1. Petals 5-6; widespread. | → 2 |
2. Stem 4-8 mm thick; beak of achene 1.8-2.4 mm, curved; coastal Alaska. | var. nelsonii |
2. Stem 1-3(-4) mm thick; beak of achene either 0.4-1.4 mm and curved, or 1.2-2.2 mm and straight; widespread. | → 3 |
3. Beak of achene straight, 1.2-2.2 mm; Oregon and northernmost California. | → 4 |
3. Beak of achene curved, 0.4-1.4 mm; widespread. | → 5 |
4. Ultimate segments of leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate. | var. dissectus |
4. Ultimate segments of leaves elliptic. | var. howellii |
5. Petals 1.5-2.5 mm wide; beak of achene 0.4-1.2 mm; stems ± reclining; Sierra Nevada, above 1000m. | var. ultramontanus |
5. Petals 3-8 mm wide; beak of achene (0.6-)1-1.4 mm; stems erect or reclining; widespread. | → 6 |
6. Stems pilose or glabrous; Alaska to c British Columbia and Alberta. | var. brevistylis |
6. Stems hirsute, sometimes glabrous; California to sw British Columbia. | var. occidentalis |
- Local floras:
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog.
- WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
