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arctic buttercup, modest buttercup, wetslope buttercup

graceful buttercup, unlovely buttercup

Roots

slender, 0.5-1 mm thick.

slender, 0.6-1.2 mm thick.

Stems

erect or decumbent from short caudices, 3-22 cm, glabrous, each with 1-5 flowers.

erect, 5-33 cm, pilose or glabrous, each with 3-7 flowers.

Basal leaves

persistent, blades cordate or reniform, 3-parted, 0.5-1.8 × 0.8-3 cm, segments again lobed, base truncate or nearly cordate, apices of segments rounded.

persistent, blades ovate, obovate or orbiculate, rarely reniform, undivided or innermost with 2 clefts or partings near apex, 1-3.7 × 1.1-3.5 cm, base acute to rounded, margins entire, apex rounded.

Flowers

pedicels pubescent or glabrous;

receptacle glabrous or pubescent;

sepals 3-5 × 1-4 mm, pubescent or glabrous;

petals 5, 3-6 × 1-5 mm;

nectary scale glabrous.

pedicels appressed-pubescent;

receptacle pilose or glabrous;

sepals 3-5 × 2-3 mm, abaxially pilose, hairs colorless;

petals 5, 4-9 × 2-5 mm;

nectary scale glabrous.

Heads of achenes

cylindric to ovoid-cylindric, 4-13 × 4-6 mm;

achenes 1.2-2.4 × 0.8-2 mm, glabrous;

beak subulate, curved or hooked, 0.4-0.8 mm.

cylindric, 7-17 × 5-8 mm;

achenes 1.5-2 × 1.3-1.8 mm, canescent or glabrous;

beak subulate, straight or hooked, 0.4-2 mm.

2n

= 16.

Ranunculus gelidus

Ranunculus inamoenus

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat Open arctic and alpine slopes
Elevation 0-4000 m (0-13100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MT; NE; NM; NV; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants with small achenes are often separated as Ranunculus verecundus. Achene size varies continuously over the range given, however, and it is not correlated with the minor shape difference mentioned by L. D. Benson (1948).

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

The Navaho-Ramah considered Ranunculus inamoenus to be an effective hunting medicine, used to protect hunters from their prey (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Sepals 3–5 mm; beaks of achenes 0.4–0.9 mm.
var. inamoenus
1. Sepals 5–7 mm; beaks of achenes 1.4–2 mm.
var. subaffinis
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
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. eschscholtzii, R. fascicularis, R. fasciculatus, R. ficaria, R. flabellaris, R. flammula, 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. 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. inamoenus var. inamoenus, R. inamoenus var. subaffinis
Synonyms R. gelidus subsp. grayi, R. grayi, R. verecundus
Name authority Karelin & Kirilov: Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 15: 133. (1842) Greene: Pittonia 3: 91. (1896)
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