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arctic buttercup, modest buttercup, wetslope buttercup

rock buttercup, small-flower crowfoot

Roots

slender, 0.5-1 mm thick.

dimorphic, some filiform, 0.2-0.6 mm thick and some with tuberous bases 1-2 mm thick.

Stems

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

erect, 11-40 cm, villous, each with 8-35 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, orbiculate, or transversely elliptic, outer blades undivided, inner 3-parted or 3-foliolate, 1-3.3 × 1-3 cm, base truncate to broadly obtuse or sometimes weakly cordate, margins crenate, apex rounded-obtuse.

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 glabrous or villous;

receptacle glabrous;

sepals 2-4 × 1-1.5 mm, abaxially glabrous or pubescent, hairs colorless;

petals 5, 1.5-3.5 × 0.5-1.5 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.

globose to cylindric, 3-7 × 2-4 mm;

achenes 1.1-1.5 × 1-1.3 mm, glabrous;

beak subulate, straight or curved, 0.2-0.3 mm.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Ranunculus gelidus

Ranunculus micranthus

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Aug). Flowering spring (Mar–May).
Habitat Open arctic and alpine slopes Woods, meadows, and clearings
Elevation 0-4000 m (0-13100 ft) 0-1000 m (0-3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SD; TN; VA; WV
[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.)

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. inamoenus, R. jovis, R. kamtschaticus, R. lapponicus, R. laxicaulis, R. lobbii, R. macauleyi, R. macounii, R. macranthus, R. marginatus, 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
Synonyms R. gelidus subsp. grayi, R. grayi, R. verecundus R. micranthus var. cymbalistes, R. micranthus var. delitescens
Name authority Karelin & Kirilov: Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 15: 133. (1842) Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 18. (1838)
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