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Ranunculus triternatus

Dalles Mountain buttercup, obscure buttercup

bristly buttercup, bristly crowfoot, Pennsylvania buttercup, renoncule de pennsylvanie

Roots

cylindric, 2-3 mm thick.

never tuberous.

Stems

prostrate or ascending, 5-20 cm, glabrous, each with 1-6 flowers.

erect, never rooting nodally, hispid, base not bulbous.

Basal leaves

persistent, blades rhombic to deltate or reniform in outline, 3-4x-dissected, 1.1-3.4 × 2-3.1 cm, segments linear, base obtuse, margins crenate, apices of segments narrowly rounded.

Basal leaf blades

broadly cordate in outline, 3-foliolate, 1.6-7 × 3-9 cm, leaflets cleft, usually deeply so, ultimate segments narrowly elliptic, margins toothed, apex acute.

Flowers

pedicels glabrous;

receptacle short-pubescent;

sepals 4-8 × 2-5 mm, abaxially glabrous or nearly so;

petals 5, 6-15 × 4-10 mm;

nectary scale glabrous.

receptacle hirsute;

sepals reflexed ca. 1 mm above base, 3-5 × 1.5-2 mm, ± hispid;

petals 5, yellow, 2-4 × 1-2.5 mm.

Heads of achenes

depressed-globose, 4-6 × 5-8 mm;

achenes 1.8-2.2 × 1.2-1.8 mm, finely pubescent;

beak subulate, straight, 0.8-1.5 mm.

cylindric, 9-12 × 5-7 mm;

achenes 1.8-2.8 × 1.6-2 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide;

beak persistent, broadly lanceolate or nearly deltate, straight or nearly so, 0.6-0.8 mm.

2n

= 16.

Ranunculus triternatus

Ranunculus pensylvanicus

Phenology Flowering spring (Apr–May). Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Aug).
Habitat Grassland or sagebrush Stream banks, bogs, moist clearings, depressions in woodlands
Elevation 900-1700 m (3000-5600 ft) 0-1700 m (0-5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CO; CT; DC; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

C. L. Hitchcock et al. (1955-1969, vol. 2) considered the name Ranunculus triternatus A. Gray to be an illegitemate homonym and used the illegitimate (superfluous) name R. reconditus A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride for this species. The name Ranunculus triternatus Poiret was not validly published (not accepted by Poiret) and does not invalidate R. triternatus A. Gray.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Ojibwa tribes used Ranunculus pensylvanicus as a hunting medicine; the Potawatomi used it as an astringent for miscellaneous diseases (D. E. Moerman 1986).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus
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. testiculatus, R. trilobus, 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. parviflorus, R. pedatifidus, 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 R. glaberrimus var. reconditus
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 21: 370. (1886) Linnaeus f.: Suppl. Pl., 272. (1782)
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