Ranunculus pusillus |
Ranunculus ambigens |
|
---|---|---|
low buttercup, low spearwort, weak buttercup |
water-plantain crowfoot, waterplantain spearwort |
|
Roots | not thickened basally, glabrous. |
not thickened basally, glabrous or somewhat canescent proximally. |
Stems | erect or ascending, rooting at most proximal nodes, glabrous. |
erect or ascending, rooting at proximal nodes, glabrous or sparsely hirsute. |
Proximal cauline leaf blades | ovate or lanceolate, 1.2-4.2 × 0.5-1.2 cm, base acute to truncate, margins entire or denticulate, apex acuminate to rounded. |
lanceolate, 5.9-12.2 × 1.1-2.4 cm, base rounded-obtuse to acuminate, margins denticulate, apex acuminate. |
Inflorescences | bracts linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate. |
bracts linear or lanceolate. |
Flowers | receptacle glabrous; sepals 4-5, spreading or reflexed from base, 1.5-3 × 1-1.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely hirsute; petals 1-3, 1.5-2 × 0.5-1 mm; nectary scales glabrous. |
receptacle glabrous; sepals 5, spreading or sometimes reflexed from base, 3-5 × 2-3 mm, glabrous; petals 5, 5-8 × 2-3 mm; nectary scales glabrous. |
Heads of achenes | hemispheric to cylindric, 2-8 × 2-3 mm; achenes 1-1.2 × 0.6-0.8 mm, ± tuberculate, glabrous; beak absent or nearly so, to 0.1 mm. |
short-ovoid to depressed-globose, 5-7 × 4-8 mm; achenes 1.8 × 1.2-1.4 mm, glabrous; beak lanceolate, straight, 0.6-1.2 mm. |
Ranunculus pusillus |
Ranunculus ambigens |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring (Apr–Jun). | Flowering late spring–summer (May–Aug). |
Habitat | Ditches, ponds, and swamps | Creeks, ponds, ditches, marshes |
Elevation | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) | 0-700 m (0-2300 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CA; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
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AL; CT; DC; DE; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; WV
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Discussion | In most specimens of Ranunculus pusillus, the heads of achenes are hemispheric to short-ovate and only 2-3 mm. Occasional plants with cylindric heads of achenes 4-6 mm from the Gulf Coast states have been called R. pusillus var. angustifolius. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The name Ranunculus obtusiusculus Rafinesque has been mistakenly used for R. ambigens. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Flammula | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Flammula |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | R. oblongifolius, R. pusillus var. angustifolius, R. tener | |
Name authority | Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 6: 99. (1804) | S. Watson: Bibl. Index N. Amer. Bot. 1: 16. (1878) |
Web links |