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arctic buttercup, modest buttercup, wetslope buttercup

bur buttercup, hornseed buttercup, tubercled crowfoot

Roots

slender, 0.5-1 mm thick.

Stems

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

erect or ascending, not rooting nodally, villous, not bulbous-based.

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.

Basal leaf blades

broadly spatulate in outline, 1-2x-dissected, 0.9-3.8 × 0.5-1.5 cm, segments linear, margins entire, apex obtuse to acuminate.

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.

receptacle glabrous;

sepals spreading, 3-6 × 1-2 mm, villous;

petals yellow, 3-5 × 1-3 mm.

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, 9-16(-27) × 8-10 mm;

achenes 1.6-2 × 1.8-2 mm, tomentose;

beak persistent, lanceolate, 3.5-4.5 mm.

Tuberous

roots absent.

2n

= 16.

Ranunculus gelidus

Ranunculus testiculatus

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Aug). Flowering spring (Apr–May).
Habitat Open arctic and alpine slopes Disturbed areas, especially in grassland
Elevation 0-4000 m (0-13100 ft) 400-2500 m (1300-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT; Asia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; IA; ID; KS; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OH; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; BC; SK; native to Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch 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.)

In North America, Ranunculus testiculatus seems to be expanding its range rapidly in arid and semiarid areas. A second species of this subgenus, R. falcatus Linnaeus [Ceratocephala falcata (Linnaeus) Persoon], has been reported from North America, but all reports seem to be based on misidentified material of R. testiculatus.

(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. Ceratocephala
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. 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. trilobus, R. triternatus, R. turneri, R. uncinatus
Synonyms R. gelidus subsp. grayi, R. grayi, R. verecundus Ceratocephalus orthoceras, Ceratocephalus testiculatus
Name authority Karelin & Kirilov: Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 15: 133. (1842) Crantz: Stirp. Austr. Fasc. 2: 97. (1763)
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