Ranunculus fascicularis |
Ranunculus fasciculatus |
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early buttercup, early crowfoot, prairie buttercup, tuft buttercup |
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Roots | always both filiform and tuberous on same stem. |
fleshy and somewhat tuberous. |
Stems | erect or ascending, never rooting nodally, strigose or spreading-strigose, base not bulbous. |
erect or decumbent, not rooting nodally, hirsute to nearly glabrous, 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 ovate to deltate in outline, 3(-5)-foliolate, 2.5-14.9 × 2.3-19.9 cm, leaflets 1-2x-lobed or -parted, ultimate segments narrowly oblong to elliptic or lanceolate, margins toothed, apex narrowly acute to 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 hispid; sepals reflexed 1-2 mm above base, 5-10 × 3-5 mm, hispid; petals 11-16, yellow, 8-21 × 2-5 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. |
globose to ovoid, 6-13 × 7-9 mm; achenes 2.4-3.4 × 2-2.4 mm, glabrous, margin forming rib or narrow wing 0.1-0.4 mm wide; beak filiform from deltate base, straight, 1.8-2.5 mm, filiform tip often deciduous, leaving 1-1.2 mm deltate beak. |
2n | = 32. |
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Ranunculus fascicularis |
Ranunculus fasciculatus |
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Phenology | Flowering winter–spring (Jan–Jun). | Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Aug). |
Habitat | Grassland or deciduous forest | Stream banks, lakeshores, and marshes |
Elevation | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) | 1000-2200 m (3300-7200 ft) |
Distribution |
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
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AZ; TX; Mexico |
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.) |
I am following G. L. Nesom (1993) in treating Ranunculus fasciculatus as a distinct species. This taxon was considered a variety of R. macranthus by L. D. Benson (1948) and a variety of R. petiolaris by T. Duncan (1980). These disparate opinions result from different interpretations of Mexican members of the R. petiolaris group. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. fascicularis var. apricus | R. macranthus var. arsenei, R. petiolaris |
Name authority | Muhlenberg ex J. M. Bigelow: Fl. Boston., 137. (1814) | Sessé & Moçiño: Fl. Mexic. ed. 2, 134. (1894) |
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