prairie buttercup
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western buttercup
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never tuberous. |
decumbent, sparsely pilose. |
erect to reclining, not rooting nodally, hirsute or sometimes pilose or glabrous, base not bulbous. |
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broadly ovate to semicircular or reniform in outline, 3-parted or -foliolate, 1.5-5.3 × 2.2-8 cm, segments usually again 1(-2)×-lobed, ultimate segments oblong or elliptic to lanceolate or oblanceolate, margins dentate (sometimes dentate-lobulate or entire), apex acute to rounded-obtuse. |
sessile; receptacle glabrous or pilose; sepals 3, spreading, 1-2 × 0.5-1 mm, hirsute; petals 3, 1-2 × 0.5-0.8 mm. |
receptacle glabrous; sepals reflexed 2-3 mm above base, 4-7(-9) × 2-4 mm, hirsute; petals 5-14, yellow, 5-13 × 1.5-8 mm. |
hemispheric, 2-2.5 × 3-3.5 mm; achenes 10-15 per head, 1.3-1.7 × 1-1.3 mm, faces and proximal margin finely papillate, each papilla crowned with hooked bristle, otherwise glabrous; beak semicircular to deltate, curved, 0.2-0.5 mm. |
hemispheric, 3-7 × 5-9 mm; achenes 2.6-3.6(-4.8) × 1.8-3(-3.2) mm, glabrous, rarely hispid, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide; beak persistent, lanceolate to lance-subulate, straight or curved, 0.4-2.2 mm. |
and lower cauline leaf blades reniform, 3-parted, 0.8-1.7 × 1.2-2 cm, segment base cordate, margins dentate or lobulate, apex rounded-obtuse. |
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Flowering winter–spring (Feb–Apr). |
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Weed in disturbed areas, usually near coast |
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0-200 m (0-700 ft) |
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AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; TX; native to South America (s Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina) [Introduced in North America]
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AK; CA; NV; OR; WA; AB; BC; YT
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Varieties 7 The seeds of Ranunculus occidentalis were eaten by some Californian Indians. D. E. Moerman (1986) identified this taxon as an Aleut poison: juice of the flowers could be slipped into food to poison the person who ate it. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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1. Petals 8-14; Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C. | var. hexasepalus |
1. Petals 5-6; widespread. | → 2 |
2. Stem 4-8 mm thick; beak of achene 1.8-2.4 mm, curved; coastal Alaska. | var. nelsonii |
2. Stem 1-3(-4) mm thick; beak of achene either 0.4-1.4 mm and curved, or 1.2-2.2 mm and straight; widespread. | → 3 |
3. Beak of achene straight, 1.2-2.2 mm; Oregon and northernmost California. | → 4 |
3. Beak of achene curved, 0.4-1.4 mm; widespread. | → 5 |
4. Ultimate segments of leaves lanceolate to oblanceolate. | var. dissectus |
4. Ultimate segments of leaves elliptic. | var. howellii |
5. Petals 1.5-2.5 mm wide; beak of achene 0.4-1.2 mm; stems ± reclining; Sierra Nevada, above 1000m. | var. ultramontanus |
5. Petals 3-8 mm wide; beak of achene (0.6-)1-1.4 mm; stems erect or reclining; widespread. | → 6 |
6. Stems pilose or glabrous; Alaska to c British Columbia and Alberta. | var. brevistylis |
6. Stems hirsute, sometimes glabrous; California to sw British Columbia. | var. occidentalis |
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FNA vol. 3. |
FNA vol. 3. |
Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Echinella |
Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus |
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. 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. 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 |
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A. Sprengel: in K. Sprengel, Syst. Veg. 5: 586. (1828) |
Nuttall: in J. Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 22. (1838) |
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