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early buttercup, early crowfoot, prairie buttercup, tuft buttercup

sharpleaf buttercup

Roots

always both filiform and tuberous on same stem.

never tuberous, sometimes thick and ± fleshy proximally.

Stems

erect or ascending, never rooting nodally, strigose or spreading-strigose, base not bulbous.

erect, not rooting nodally, hirsute or strigose, base not bulbous.

Basal leaf

blades ovate to broadly ovate in outline, 3-5-foliolate, 2.1-4.7 × 1.9-4.5 cm, leaflets undivided or 1x-lobed or -parted, ultimate segments oblanceolate or obovate, margins entire or with few teeth, apex rounded-acute to rounded-obtuse.

blades broadly ovate to cordate or sometimes reniform in outline, deeply 3-divided or occasionally 3-foliolate, 2.2-6 × 2.5-7.7(-10) cm, divisions 1-2x deeply parted or -dissected, ultimate segments linear to broadly linear, margins entire (occasionally a lobe reduced to large tooth), apex acute or rounded-acute.

Flowers

receptacle hispid or glabrous;

sepals spreading or sometimes reflexed from base, 5-7 × 2-3 mm, hispid or glabrous;

petals 5(-7), yellow, 8-14 × 3-6 mm.

receptacle glabrous;

sepals spreading or variously reflexed, 4-6 × 2-4 mm, appressed-hirsute;

petals 5(-10), yellow, 7-13 × 4-10 mm.

Heads of achenes

globose or ovoid, 5-9 × 5-8 mm;

achenes 2-2.8 × 1.8-2.2 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide;

beak persistent, filiform, straight, 1.2-2.8 mm.

hemispheric or globose, 5-8 × 6-8(-10) mm;

achenes 2.2-3.4 × 2-3 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide;

beak persistent, lanceolate, strongly curved, 0.4-1.6 mm.

2n

= 32.

Ranunculus fascicularis

Ranunculus acriformis

Phenology Flowering winter–spring (Jan–Jun).
Habitat Grassland or deciduous forest
Elevation 0-300 m (0-1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; MB; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ranunculus fascicularis is very similar to R. hispidus var. hispidus, and herbarium specimens without underground parts may be difficult to identify. Ranunculus fascicularis grows in drier habitats; segments of its leaves are commonly oblanceolate and blunt, with few or no marginal teeth; and its petals are widest at or below the middle. Ranunculus hispidus var. hispidus is usually larger in all its parts (leaves, flowers, heads of achenes); leaf segments are variable in shape but their apices are normally sharper and their marginal teeth more numerous, and petals are widest above the middle.

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

Varieties 3

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

Key
1. Sepals spreading, or reflexed from base, pubescence of appressed hairs; Wyoming, Colorado.
var. acriformis
1. Sepals reflexed 1–3 mm above base, pubescence of spreading hairs; Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah.
→ 2
2. Beak of achene 1.2–1.6mm; receptacle hemispheric to spheric; Utah to Idaho and Montana.
var. montanensis
2. Beak of achene 0.4–1mm; receptacle obpyriform to cylindric; Utah.
var. aestivalis
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus
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. eschscholtzii, 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. 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. testiculatus, R. trilobus, R. triternatus, R. turneri, R. uncinatus
Subordinate taxa
R. acriformis var. acriformis, R. acriformis var. aestivalis, R. acriformis var. montanensis
Synonyms R. fascicularis var. apricus
Name authority Muhlenberg ex J. M. Bigelow: Fl. Boston., 137. (1814) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 21: 374. (1886)
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