Ranunculus fascicularis
Ranunculus hispidus
early buttercup, early crowfoot, prairie buttercup, tuft buttercup
bristly buttercup, hispid crowfoot, renoncule hispide
always both filiform and tuberous on same stem.
never tuberous.
erect or ascending, never rooting nodally, strigose or spreading-strigose, base not bulbous.
erect or decumbent, sometimes rooting nodally, hispid or strigose, base not bulbous.
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-foliolate or outer blades merely 3-parted, 2-13.4 × 2.4-16.8 cm, leaflets undivided to lobed or parted, ultimate segments narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate to circular, margins toothed, apex acuminate to rounded.
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 spreading or reflexed, 4-10 × 2-5 mm, hispid;
petals 5, yellow, 8-16 × 3-9 mm.
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 to short-ovoid, 6-10 × 7-10 mm;
achenes 2.2-5.2 × 2-3.8 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib or broad wing 0.1-1.2 mm wide;
beak persistent, lance-subulate, straight or somewhat curved, 0.8-2.6 mm.
= 32.
Ranunculus fascicularis
Ranunculus hispidus
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
Until recently, the varieties of Ranunculus hispidus were usually treated as distinct species. Arguments for restoring species status to R. hispidus var. nitidus were given by G. L. Nesom (1993).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stems erect or nearly erect, never rooting at nodes. | var. hispidus |
1. Stems decumbent, sometimes rooting at nodes. | → 2 |
2. Sepals spreading or reflexed from base; achene margins 0.1–0.2 mm broad. | var. caricetorum |
2. Sepals reflexed 1 mm above base; achene margins 0.4–1.2 mm broad. | var. nitidus |
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