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Lapland buttercup, renoncule de lapponie

graceful buttercup, unlovely buttercup

Roots

slender, 0.6-1.2 mm thick.

Stems

prostrate, buried, rooting nodally, glabrous, not bulbous-based.

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

Basal leaves

blades reniform, deeply 3-parted, 1.1-2.6 × 1.6-4.3 cm, segments undivided or 1x cleft, margins crenate, apex 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

receptacle glabrous;

sepals spreading or reflexed from base, 4-7 × 2-5 mm, glabrous;

petals yellow, 5-6 × 2-3 mm.

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

hemispheric, 5-7 × 8-10 mm;

achenes 3.8-4.2 × 2-2.2 mm, glabrous;

beak persistent, lanceolate, curved, tip hooked, 1.6-2.4 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.

Tuberous

roots absent.

2n

= 16.

Ranunculus lapponicus

Ranunculus inamoenus

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Jul).
Habitat Boggy places and lakesides in tundra, muskeg, and boreal forest
Elevation 0-900 m (0-3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ME; MI; MN; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MT; NE; NM; NV; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Starving individuals among western Eskimo groups ate the soaked plant of Ranunculus lapponicus as a dietary aid before consuming other food (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(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. Coptidium 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. 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. 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
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 553. (1753) Greene: Pittonia 3: 91. (1896)
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