Ranunculus ficaria |
Ranunculus pacificus |
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ficaire, fig buttercup, lesser celandine, pilewort, renoncule ficaire |
Pacific buttercup |
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Roots | never tuberous. |
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Stems | erect to decumbent, not rooting nodally, glabrous, not bulbous-based, spheric or ellipsoid bulbils sometimes formed in leaf axils. |
erect or reclining, never rooting nodally, hispid or glabrous, base not bulbous. |
Basal leaves | simple and undivided, blades cordate to deltate or semicircular, 1.8-3.7 × 2-4 cm, base cordate, margins entire or crenate, apex rounded or obtuse. |
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Basal leaf blades | broadly triangular to cordate in outline, 3-foliolate, 6-13 × 8-16 cm, leaflets lobed, margins toothed, ultimate segments elliptic to lance-elliptic or oblong, margins toothed, apex acute or obtuse. |
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Flowers | receptacle glabrous; sepals spreading, saccate at extreme base, 4-9 × 3-6 mm, glabrous; petals yellow, 10-15 × 3-7 mm. |
receptacle hispid; sepals reflexed 1-2 mm above base, 6-9 × 3-4 mm, sparsely hispid; petals 5, abaxially yellow or purplish, adaxially yellow, 9-11 × 6-8 mm. |
Heads of achenes | hemispheric, 4-5 × 6-8 mm; achenes 2.6-2.8 × 1.8-2 mm, pubescent; beak absent. |
ovoid to globose, 9-11 × 8-11 mm; achenes 3.2-3.8 × 2-3 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide; beak persistent, lanceolate or subulate from triangular base, straight or tip weakly hooked, 1-1.8 mm. |
Tuberous | roots present. |
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Ranunculus ficaria |
Ranunculus pacificus |
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Phenology | Flowering spring (Apr–May). | Flowering summer (Jul). |
Habitat | Shaded stream banks and moist disturbed areas | Along streams and in meadows |
Elevation | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) | 0 m (0 ft) |
Distribution |
CT; DC; IL; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; VA; WA; WV; BC; NF; ON; QC; native to Europe [Introduced in North America]
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AK |
Discussion | In North America, Ranunculus ficaria seems to be expanding its range rapidly in areas with cool mesic climates. The species is extremely variable (especially in leaf size and stem posture), and many attempts have been made to divide it into varieties or subspecies (see P. D. Sell 1994). The different forms, however, intergrade extensively and the varieties are often impossible to distinguish. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Ranunculus pacificus is endemic to the Alaska panhandle. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. ficaria subsp. bulbifer, R. ficaria subsp. calthifolius, R. ficaria var. bulbifera | R. septentrionalis subsp. pacificus |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 550. (1753) | (Hultén) L. D. Benson: Amer. Midl. Naturalist 40: 79. (1948) |
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