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bur buttercup, hornseed buttercup, tubercled crowfoot

few flower buttercup, small-flower buttercup, sticktight buttercup

Stems

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

erect or nearly erect, hispid.

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.

pedicellate;

receptacle glabrous;

sepals 5, reflexed, 1.5-2 × 0.8-1.2 mm, densely pubescent;

petals 0-5, 1.1-1.8 × 0.2-0.7 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.

globose, 3-5 × 3-5 mm;

achenes 10-20 per head, 1.7-2 × 1.4-1.7 mm, faces papillose, each papilla crowned with hooked bristle, otherwise glabrous, margin smooth;

beak deltate with slender recurved tip, 0.4-0.6 mm.

Tuberous

roots absent.

Basal

and lower cauline leaf blades semicircular or reniform, 3-parted or -divided, 1.5-3.2 × 1-2.4 cm, again lobed, base cordate, margins dentate, apex rounded.

Ranunculus testiculatus

Ranunculus parviflorus

Phenology Flowering spring (Apr–May). Flowering spring–summer (Mar–Jul).
Habitat Disturbed areas, especially in grassland Roadsides, fields, and woods
Elevation 400-2500 m (1300-8200 ft) 50-200 m (200-700 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
AL; AR; CA; FL; GA; IL; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; native to Europe; Pacific Islands; Australia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county 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.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ceratocephala Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Echinella
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. 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. 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
Name authority Crantz: Stirp. Austr. Fasc. 2: 97. (1763) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 780. (1762)
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