Ranunculus testiculatus |
Ranunculus ficaria |
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bur buttercup, hornseed buttercup, tubercled crowfoot |
ficaire, fig buttercup, lesser celandine, pilewort, renoncule ficaire |
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Stems | erect or ascending, not rooting nodally, villous, not bulbous-based. |
erect to decumbent, not rooting nodally, glabrous, not bulbous-based, spheric or ellipsoid bulbils sometimes formed in leaf axils. |
Basal leaves | 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. |
simple and undivided, blades cordate to deltate or semicircular, 1.8-3.7 × 2-4 cm, base cordate, margins entire or crenate, apex rounded or obtuse. |
Flowers | receptacle glabrous; sepals spreading, 3-6 × 1-2 mm, villous; petals yellow, 3-5 × 1-3 mm. |
receptacle glabrous; sepals spreading, saccate at extreme base, 4-9 × 3-6 mm, glabrous; petals yellow, 10-15 × 3-7 mm. |
Heads of achenes | cylindric, 9-16(-27) × 8-10 mm; achenes 1.6-2 × 1.8-2 mm, tomentose; beak persistent, lanceolate, 3.5-4.5 mm. |
hemispheric, 4-5 × 6-8 mm; achenes 2.6-2.8 × 1.8-2 mm, pubescent; beak absent. |
Tuberous | roots absent. |
roots present. |
Ranunculus testiculatus |
Ranunculus ficaria |
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Phenology | Flowering spring (Apr–May). | Flowering spring (Apr–May). |
Habitat | Disturbed areas, especially in grassland | Shaded stream banks and moist disturbed areas |
Elevation | 400-2500 m (1300-8200 ft) | 0-300 m (0-1000 ft) |
Distribution |
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]
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CT; DC; IL; KY; MA; MD; MI; MO; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; VA; WA; WV; BC; NF; ON; QC; native to Europe [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | 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.) |
In North America, Ranunculus ficaria seems to be expanding its range rapidly in areas with cool mesic climates. The species is extremely variable (especially in leaf size and stem posture), and many attempts have been made to divide it into varieties or subspecies (see P. D. Sell 1994). The different forms, however, intergrade extensively and the varieties are often impossible to distinguish. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 3. | FNA vol. 3. |
Parent taxa | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ceratocephala | Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ficaria |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Ceratocephalus orthoceras, Ceratocephalus testiculatus | R. ficaria subsp. bulbifer, R. ficaria subsp. calthifolius, R. ficaria var. bulbifera |
Name authority | Crantz: Stirp. Austr. Fasc. 2: 97. (1763) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 550. (1753) |
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