Ranunculus cymbalaria |
Ranunculus testiculatus |
|
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alkali buttercup, renoncule cymbalaire, seaside buttercup, seaside crowfoot, shore buttercup |
bur buttercup, hornseed buttercup, tubercled crowfoot |
|
Stems | dimorphic, flowering stems erect or ascending, stolons prostrate, rooting nodally, glabrous or sparsely hirsute, not bulbous-based. |
erect or ascending, not rooting nodally, villous, not bulbous-based. |
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. |
blades broadly spatulate in outline, 1-2x-dissected, 0.9-3.8 × 0.5-1.5 cm, segments linear, margins entire, apex obtuse to acuminate. |
Flowers | receptacle hispid or glabrous; sepals spreading, 2.5-6 × 1.5-3 mm, glabrous; petals 5, yellow, 2-7 × 1-3 mm. |
receptacle glabrous; sepals spreading, 3-6 × 1-2 mm, villous; petals yellow, 3-5 × 1-3 mm. |
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. |
cylindric, 9-16(-27) × 8-10 mm; achenes 1.6-2 × 1.8-2 mm, tomentose; beak persistent, lanceolate, 3.5-4.5 mm. |
Tuberous | roots absent. |
roots absent. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Ranunculus cymbalaria |
Ranunculus testiculatus |
|
Phenology | Flowering late spring–summer (May–Sep). | Flowering spring (Apr–May). |
Habitat | Disturbed areas, especially in grassland | |
Elevation | 400-2500 m (1300-8200 ft) | |
Distribution |
Bogs; marshes; ditches; stream banks; often saline
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AZ; CA; CO; IA; ID; KS; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OH; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; BC; SK; native to Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
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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.) |
In North America, Ranunculus testiculatus seems to be expanding its range rapidly in arid and semiarid areas. A second species of this subgenus, R. falcatus Linnaeus [Ceratocephala falcata (Linnaeus) Persoon], has been reported from North America, but all reports seem to be based on misidentified material of R. testiculatus. (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. Ceratocephala |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Halerpestes cymbalaria, R. cymbalaria var. alpinus, R. cymbalaria var. saximontanus | Ceratocephalus orthoceras, Ceratocephalus testiculatus |
Name authority | Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 392. (1814) | Crantz: Stirp. Austr. Fasc. 2: 97. (1763) |
Web links |