Ranunculus uncinatus
Ranunculus abortivus
hook fruit buttercup, little buttercup, woodland buttercup
kidney-leaf buttercup, kidney-leaf crowfoot, little-leaf buttercup, small-flower buttercup, small-flower crowfoot
never tuberous.
filiform, sometimes enlarged basally, 0.5-1.5 mm thick.
erect, never rooting nodally, hispid or glabrous, base not bulbous.
erect or nearly erect, 10-60 cm, glabrous, each with 3-50 flowers.
persistent, blades reniform or orbiculate, undivided or sometimes innermost 3-parted or -foliate, 1.4-4.2 × 2-5.2 cm, base shallowly to deeply cordate, margins crenulate to crenate-lobulate, apex rounded to rounded-obtuse.
cordate to reniform in outline, 3-parted or sometimes 3-foliolate, 1.8-5.6 × 2.8-8.3 cm, segments again lobed, ultimate segments elliptic to lanceolate, margins toothed or crenate-toothed, apex acute to rounded-obtuse.
receptacle glabrous;
sepals reflexed or sometimes spreading, 2-3.5 × 1-2 mm, pubescent;
petals 5, yellow, 2-4(-6) × 1-2(-3) mm.
pedicels glabrous or nearly so;
receptacle sparsely to very sparsely pilose;
sepals 2.5-4 × 1-2 mm, abaxially glabrous;
petals 5, 1.5-3.5 × 1-2 mm;
nectary scale glabrous.
globose or hemispheric, 4-7 × 4-7 mm;
achenes 2-2.8 × 1.6-2 mm, glabrous or sparsely hispid, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide;
beak persistent, lanceolate, curved, hooked, 1.2-2.5 mm.
ovoid, 3-6 × 2.5-5 mm;
achenes 1.4-1.6 × 1-1.5 mm, glabrous;
beak subulate, curved, 0.1-0.2 mm.
= 28.
= 16.
Ranunculus uncinatus
Ranunculus abortivus
Plants with hispid stems and achenes are often separated as Ranunculus uncinatus var. parviflorus; these two characters are poorly correlated, however, and sometimes vary between plants in a single collection. Ranunculus uncinatus was reported from northeastern Alberta and adjacent Northwest Territories by H. J. Scoggan (1978-1979, part 3). The specimens have hairy receptacles and straight, broad achene beaks; they apparently represent small individuals of R. macounii.
Some Native Americans used Ranunculus uncinatus as an antrirheumatic, a diaphoretic, a disinfectant, and an orthopedic aid, as well as in herbal steam baths intended to soothe sore muscles and rheumatism (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Three varieties of Ranunculus abortivus are sometimes recognized. Plants from New England and the northern Appalachians often have thick stems and orbiculate leaves with narrow, deep basal sinuses; this form has been called R. abortivus var. eucyclus. Plants from southeastern Virginia may have the upper bracts merely lobed rather than deeply divided as is usual in R. sect. Epirotes; those have been called R. arbortivus var. indivisus.
Native American tribes have used Ranunculus abortivus medicinally for a variety of purposes (D. E. Moerman 1986).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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