Ranunculus cymbalaria |
Ranunculus pygmaeus |
|
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alkali buttercup, renoncule cymbalaire, seaside buttercup, seaside crowfoot, shore buttercup |
dwarf buttercup, pygmy buttercup |
|
Roots | slender, 0.1-0.6 mm thick. |
|
Stems | dimorphic, flowering stems erect or ascending, stolons prostrate, rooting nodally, glabrous or sparsely hirsute, not bulbous-based. |
erect or ascending from short caudices, 0.6-3.5 cm (sometimes longer in fruit), each with 1-2 flowers. |
Basal leaves | simple and undivided, blades oblong to cordate or circular, 0.7-3.8 × 0.8-3.2 cm, base rounded to cordate, margins crenate or crenate-serrate, apex rounded. |
persistent, blades reniform to transversely elliptic or semicircular, 3-parted or -divided, 0.45-0.9 × 0.6-1.3 cm, at least lateral segments again lobed, base truncate or nearly cordate, margins entire, apex rounded to obtuse. |
Flowers | receptacle hispid or glabrous; sepals spreading, 2.5-6 × 1.5-3 mm, glabrous; petals 5, yellow, 2-7 × 1-3 mm. |
pedicels glabrous or pubescent; receptacle glabrous; sepals 2-4 × 1.2-1.6 mm, abaxially sparsely hairy, hairs colorless; petals 5, 1.2-3.5 × 1.1-2.8 mm; nectary scale glabrous. |
Heads of achenes | long-ovoid or cylindric, 6-12 × 4-5(-9) mm; achenes 1-1.4(-2.2) × 0.8-1.2 mm, glabrous; beak persistent, conic, straight, 0.1-0.2 mm. |
nearly globose to cylindric, 2.5-7 × 2.5-5 mm; achenes 1-1.2 × 0.8-1.1 mm, glabrous; beak subulate, straight or curved, 0.3-0.7 mm. |
Tuberous | roots absent. |
|
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Ranunculus cymbalaria |
Ranunculus pygmaeus |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer (May–Sep). | Flowering summer (Jul–Sep). |
Habitat | Arctic and alpine meadows and slopes, usually around persistent snow patches | |
Elevation | 0-4000 m (0-13100 ft) | |
Distribution |
Bogs; marshes; ditches; stream banks; often saline
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AK; CO; ID; MT; UT; WY; AB; BC; NF; NT; QC; YT; Greenland; Europe (Spitsbergen)
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Discussion | Various Navaho groups used Ranunculus cymbalaria as a venereal aid, an emetic, and a ceremonial medicine. The Kawaiisu used it as a dermatological aid (D. E. Moerman 1986). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Ranunculus pygmaeus var. langeana has been described as having deeply divided basal leaves and strongly elongate heads of achenes (at least 5 mm). These characteristics are not well correlated with one another, however, and the variety does not seem natural. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Cyrtorhyncha > sect. Halodes | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Halerpestes cymbalaria, R. cymbalaria var. alpinus, R. cymbalaria var. saximontanus | R. pygmaeus var. langeana |
Name authority | Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 392. (1814) | Wahlenberg: Fl. Lapp., 157. (1812) |
Web links |