The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

margined buttercup

sharpleaf buttercup

Roots

never tuberous, sometimes thick and ± fleshy proximally.

Stems

erect, sparsely pilose.

erect, not rooting nodally, hirsute or strigose, base not bulbous.

Basal leaf blades

reniform to semicircular, undivided or shallowly 3-lobed, 2.5-5 × 3-7 cm, base truncate to nearly cordate, margins crenate or dentate, apex rounded or obtuse.

broadly ovate to cordate or sometimes reniform in outline, deeply 3-divided or occasionally 3-foliolate, 2.2-6 × 2.5-7.7(-10) cm, divisions 1-2x deeply parted or -dissected, ultimate segments linear to broadly linear, margins entire (occasionally a lobe reduced to large tooth), apex acute or rounded-acute.

Flowers

pedicellate;

receptacle hispid;

sepals 5, reflexed 1 mm from base, 3-5 × 1-2 mm, hispid;

petals 5, 4-5 × 2-3.5 mm.

receptacle glabrous;

sepals spreading or variously reflexed, 4-6 × 2-4 mm, appressed-hirsute;

petals 5(-10), yellow, 7-13 × 4-10 mm.

Heads of achenes

hemispheric to globose, 4 × 6 mm;

achenes 15-20 per head, 2.5-3 × 2-2.5 mm, faces covered with high sharp tubercles or low spines, glabrous, margin smooth;

beak deltate, straight, 0.8-1 mm.

hemispheric or globose, 5-8 × 6-8(-10) mm;

achenes 2.2-3.4 × 2-3 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide;

beak persistent, lanceolate, strongly curved, 0.4-1.6 mm.

Ranunculus marginatus

Ranunculus acriformis

Phenology Flowering spring (Mar–May).
Habitat Roadsides
Elevation 0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; LA; TX; native to Europe [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A form of Ranunculus marginatus, with the fruits weakly tuberculate or almost smooth, similar to the smooth-fruited forms of R. sardous, is found in Europe; it is not known from North America.

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

Varieties 3

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

Key
1. Sepals spreading, or reflexed from base, pubescence of appressed hairs; Wyoming, Colorado.
var. acriformis
1. Sepals reflexed 1–3 mm above base, pubescence of spreading hairs; Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah.
→ 2
2. Beak of achene 1.2–1.6mm; receptacle hemispheric to spheric; Utah to Idaho and Montana.
var. montanensis
2. Beak of achene 0.4–1mm; receptacle obpyriform to cylindric; Utah.
var. aestivalis
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Echinella Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus
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. lapponicus, R. laxicaulis, R. lobbii, R. macauleyi, R. macounii, R. macranthus, 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. 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. testiculatus, R. trilobus, R. triternatus, R. turneri, R. uncinatus
Subordinate taxa
R. acriformis var. acriformis, R. acriformis var. aestivalis, R. acriformis var. montanensis
Name authority d'Urville: Mém. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 318. (1822) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 21: 374. (1886)
Web links