Ranunculus uncinatus
Ranunculus eschscholtzii
hook fruit buttercup, little buttercup, woodland buttercup
Eschscholtz's buttercup, snow buttercup, subalpine buttercup
never tuberous.
slender, 0.4-1.6 mm thick.
erect, never rooting nodally, hispid or glabrous, base not bulbous.
erect or decumbent from short or long caudices, 4-27 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers.
persistent, blades reniform or cordate to obovate or broadly oblong, lobed or 3-parted, 0.5-4.1 × 0.8-3.7 cm, segments again 1(-2)×-lobed, base obtuse to cordate, apices of segments rounded in outline.
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;
receptacle glabrous or sparsely pilose;
sepals 4-8 × 2-6 mm, abaxially glabrous or pilose;
petals 5-8, 6-16 × 4-16 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.
cylindric or ovoid, 5-10 × 4-7 mm;
achenes 1.4-2 × 1-1.6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent;
beak lanceolate or subulate, straight (sometimes curved when immature), 0.6-1.8 mm.
= 28.
Ranunculus uncinatus
Ranunculus eschscholtzii
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.)
Varieties 6 (5 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves acute or acuminate. | → 2 |
1. Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves rounded or obtuse (sometimes broadly rounded-acute). | → 3 |
2. Leaf blade reniform, base truncate or cordate. | var. suksdorfii |
2. Leaf blade obovate to broadly oblong, base obtuse or rounded. | var. eximius |
3. Middle segments of many basal leaves lobed and toothed or 2×-lobed. | var. trisectus |
3. Middle segments of basal leaves unlobed or 1×-lobed. | → 4 |
4. Caudices with few or no persistent leaf bases; basal leaves always 3-parted; widespread in w North America. | var. eschscholtzii |
4. Caudices densely clothed with persistent leaf bases; basal leaves sometimes parted but usually merely lobed; California and w Nevada. | var. oxynotus |
BC
CA
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
