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Eschscholtz's buttercup, snow buttercup, subalpine buttercup

Utah buttercup

Roots

slender, 0.4-1.6 mm thick.

tuberous, 2.5-5 mm thick.

Stems

erect or decumbent from short or long caudices, 4-27 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers.

erect, 2.5-7.5 cm, glabrous, each with 1-4 flowers.

Basal leaves

persistent, blades reniform or cordate to obovate or broadly oblong, lobed or 3-parted, 0.5-4.1 × 0.8-3.7 cm, segments again 1(-2)×-lobed, base obtuse to cordate, apices of segments rounded in outline.

persistent, blades obdeltate in outline, 1-2.8 cm, segments 0.2-0.6 cm wide, deeply divided into 3 oblanceolate segments with lateral segments often again lobed or parted, base long-attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded.

Flowers

pedicels glabrous;

receptacle glabrous or sparsely pilose;

sepals 4-8 × 2-6 mm, abaxially glabrous or pilose;

petals 5-8, 6-16 × 4-16 mm;

nectary scale glabrous.

pedicels glabrous;

receptacle glabrous or sparsely pilose;

sepals 3-7 × 1.5-3 mm, abaxially glabrous;

petals 5, 6-12 × 2-5 mm;

nectary scale glabrous.

Heads

of achenes cylindric or ovoid, 5-10 × 4-7 mm;

achenes 1.4-2 × 1-1.6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

beak lanceolate or subulate, straight (sometimes curved when immature), 0.6-1.8 mm.

of achenes globose to cylindric, 3.5-8 × 3-7 mm;

achenes 1.1-1.4 × 0.8-1.1 mm, finely pubescent;

beak subulate, straight, 0.2-0.8 mm.

Ranunculus eschscholtzii

Ranunculus jovis

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Jul).
Habitat Dry, open slopes, often around persistent snowbanks
Elevation 1700-3000 m [5600-9800 ft]
Distribution
map from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
map from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 6 (5 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes
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. cymbalaria, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
R. eschscholtzii var. eschscholtzii, R. eschscholtzii var. eximius, R. eschscholtzii var. oxynotus, R. eschscholtzii var. suksdorfii, R. eschscholtzii var. trisectus
Key
1. Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves acute or acuminate.
→ 2
1. Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves rounded or obtuse (sometimes broadly rounded-acute).
→ 3
2. Leaf blade reniform, base truncate or cordate.
var. suksdorfii
2. Leaf blade obovate to broadly oblong, base obtuse or rounded.
var. eximius
3. Middle segments of many basal leaves lobed and toothed or 2×-lobed.
var. trisectus
3. Middle segments of basal leaves unlobed or 1×-lobed.
→ 4
4. Caudices with few or no persistent leaf bases; basal leaves always 3-parted; widespread in w North America.
var. eschscholtzii
4. Caudices densely clothed with persistent leaf bases; basal leaves sometimes parted but usually merely lobed; California and w Nevada.
var. oxynotus
Name authority Schlechtendal: Animadv. Bot. Ranunc. Cand. 2: 16. (1820) A. Nelson: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 261. (1900)
Source FNA vol. 3. Treatment author: Alan T. Whittemore. FNA vol. 3. Treatment author: Alan T. Whittemore.
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