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bur buttercup, hornseed buttercup, tubercled crowfoot

waterfall false buttercup

Stems

erect or ascending, not rooting nodally, villous, not bulbous-based.

erect from short caudices, not rooting nodally, glabrous, not bulbous-based.

Leaves

basal leaf blades semicircular or reniform in outline, shallowly 5-7-lobed, 1.2-4.6 × 1.8-6.6 cm, ultimate segments semicircular, margins crenate, apex rounded or weakly apiculate;

cauline leaves 0-2, scalelike.

Basal leaf

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.

Flowers

receptacle glabrous;

sepals spreading, 3-6 × 1-2 mm, villous;

petals yellow, 3-5 × 1-3 mm.

receptacle glabrous;

sepals spreading, white or pale yellow, 6-13 × 3-6 mm, glabrous;

petals 8-12, greenish, 2-4 × 0.6-1.6 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.

ovoid, 6-7 × 6-8 mm;

achenes 3.8-4.2 × 0.8-1 mm, canescent;

beak persistent, filiform, 1.2-1.4 mm, hooked distally.

Tuberous

roots absent.

roots absent.

Ranunculus testiculatus

Ranunculus hystriculus

Phenology Flowering spring (Apr–May). Flowering winter–summer (Feb–Jul).
Habitat Disturbed areas, especially in grassland Wet places near streams, especially around waterfalls
Elevation 400-2500 m (1300-8200 ft) 300-2300 m (1000-7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
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]
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
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.)

Ranunculus hystriculus is endemic to the west slope of the Sierra Nevada.

(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. Cyrtorhyncha > sect. Pseudaphanostemma
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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms Ceratocephalus orthoceras, Ceratocephalus testiculatus Kumlienia hystriculus
Name authority Crantz: Stirp. Austr. Fasc. 2: 97. (1763) A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 7: 328. (1867)
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