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Eschscholtz's buttercup, snow buttercup, subalpine buttercup

renoncule nivale, snow buttercup

Roots

slender, 0.4-1.6 mm thick.

slender, 0.4-0.8 mm thick.

Stems

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

erect from short caudices, 4-22 cm, glabrous or sparsely pilose, each with 1 flower.

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 or deciduous, blades reniform, 3-parted, 0.6-2 × 1.3-3 cm, at least lateral segments again lobed or margins toothed, base truncate or cordate, apices of segments rounded-apiculate.

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 or brown-pilose;

receptacle glabrous;

sepals 6-8 × 3-5 mm, abaxially densely brown-hispid;

petals 5(-6), 8-11 × 7-12 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 cylindric or ovoid-cylindric, 7-14 × 5-6 mm;

achenes 1.5-2.2 × 1.2-1.6 mm, glabrous;

beak slender, straight, 1-2 mm.

2n

= 48.

Ranunculus eschscholtzii

Ranunculus nivalis

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat Wet or dry alpine meadows, often around late snowbeds, cliffs, and streamsides
Elevation 0-1300 m [0-4300 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
AK; AB; BC; NF; NT; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
[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. jovis, R. kamtschaticus, R. lapponicus, R. laxicaulis, R. lobbii, R. macauleyi, R. macounii, R. macranthus, R. marginatus, R. micranthus, R. muricatus, 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) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 553. (1753)
Source FNA vol. 3. Treatment author: Alan T. Whittemore. FNA vol. 3. Treatment author: Alan T. Whittemore.
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