The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

hook fruit buttercup, little buttercup, woodland buttercup

Allen's buttercup, renoncule d'Allen

Roots

never tuberous.

slender, 0.2-0.8 mm thick.

Stems

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

erect or ascending, 5-19 cm, sparsely pilose, each with 1-4 flowers.

Basal leaves

persistent, blades reniform or semicircular, undivided or some 3-parted, 1.4-2.1 × 1.7-2.8 cm, base cordate or truncate, margins crenate with more than 5 crenae, apex rounded.

Basal leaf blades

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.

Flowers

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 pilose, sometimes sparsely so;

receptacle hispid;

sepals 4-6 × 2-3 mm, abaxially pilose, hairs colorless;

petals 5, 4-5 × 2-4 mm;

nectary scale glabrous.

Heads of achenes

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 to cylindric, 4-7 × 4-6 mm;

achenes 1.6-1.8 × 1.2-1.4 mm, glabrous;

beak lance-subulate, curved, 0.4-0.6 mm.

2n

= 28.

= 32.

Ranunculus uncinatus

Ranunculus allenii

Phenology Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Aug). Flowering summer (Jul–Aug).
Habitat Moist meadows or woods, often along streams Wet alpine meadows, often around late snowbeds, shores of lakes and streams
Elevation 0-3400 m (0-11200 ft) 700-1300 m (2300-4300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NF; NT; QC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Ranunculus Ranunculaceae > Ranunculus > subg. Ranunculus > sect. Epirotes
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. triternatus, R. turneri
R. abortivus, R. acriformis, R. acris, R. adoneus, R. alismifolius, R. allegheniensis, 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. triternatus, R. turneri, R. uncinatus
Synonyms R. bongardii, R. bongardii var. tenellus, R. uncinatus var. earlei, R. uncinatus var. parviflorus
Name authority D. Don: in G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 35. (1831) B. L. Robinson: Rhodora 7: 220. (1905)
Web links