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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
from USDA
Bogs; marshes; ditches; stream banks; often saline
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
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]
[WildflowerSearch map]
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
R. abortivus, R. acriformis, R. acris, R. adoneus, R. alismifolius, R. allegheniensis, R. allenii, R. ambigens, R. andersonii, R. aquatilis, R. arizonicus, R. arvensis, R. auricomus, R. austro-oreganus, R. bonariensis, R. bulbosus, R. californicus, R. canus, R. cardiophyllus, R. cooleyae, R. eschscholtzii, R. fascicularis, R. fasciculatus, R. ficaria, R. flabellaris, R. flammula, R. gelidus, R. glaberrimus, R. glacialis, R. gmelinii, R. gormanii, R. harveyi, R. hebecarpus, R. hederaceus, R. hispidus, R. hydrocharoides, R. hyperboreus, R. hystriculus, R. inamoenus, R. jovis, R. kamtschaticus, R. lapponicus, R. laxicaulis, R. lobbii, R. macauleyi, R. macounii, R. macranthus, R. marginatus, R. micranthus, R. muricatus, R. nivalis, R. occidentalis, R. oresterus, R. orthorhynchus, R. pacificus, R. pallasii, R. parviflorus, R. pedatifidus, R. pensylvanicus, R. platensis, R. populago, R. pusillus, R. pygmaeus, R. ranunculinus, R. recurvatus, R. repens, R. rhomboideus, R. sabinei, R. sardous, R. sceleratus, R. sulphureus, R. testiculatus, R. trilobus, R. triternatus, R. turneri, R. uncinatus
R. abortivus, R. acriformis, R. acris, R. adoneus, R. alismifolius, R. allegheniensis, R. allenii, R. ambigens, R. andersonii, R. aquatilis, R. arizonicus, R. arvensis, R. auricomus, R. austro-oreganus, R. bonariensis, R. bulbosus, R. californicus, R. canus, R. cardiophyllus, R. cooleyae, R. cymbalaria, R. eschscholtzii, R. fascicularis, R. fasciculatus, R. ficaria, R. flabellaris, R. flammula, R. gelidus, R. glaberrimus, R. glacialis, R. gmelinii, R. gormanii, R. harveyi, R. hebecarpus, R. hederaceus, R. hispidus, R. hydrocharoides, R. hyperboreus, R. hystriculus, R. inamoenus, R. jovis, R. kamtschaticus, R. lapponicus, R. laxicaulis, R. lobbii, R. macauleyi, R. macounii, R. macranthus, R. marginatus, R. micranthus, R. muricatus, R. nivalis, R. occidentalis, R. oresterus, R. orthorhynchus, R. pacificus, R. pallasii, R. parviflorus, R. pedatifidus, R. pensylvanicus, R. platensis, R. populago, R. pusillus, R. pygmaeus, R. ranunculinus, R. recurvatus, R. repens, R. rhomboideus, R. sabinei, R. sardous, R. sceleratus, R. sulphureus, R. trilobus, R. triternatus, R. turneri, R. uncinatus
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)
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