Ranunculus uncinatus |
Ranunculus gelidus |
|
---|---|---|
hook fruit buttercup, little buttercup, woodland buttercup |
arctic buttercup, modest buttercup, wetslope buttercup |
|
Roots | never tuberous. |
slender, 0.5-1 mm thick. |
Stems | erect, never rooting nodally, hispid or glabrous, base not bulbous. |
erect or decumbent from short caudices, 3-22 cm, glabrous, each with 1-5 flowers. |
Basal leaves | persistent, blades cordate or reniform, 3-parted, 0.5-1.8 × 0.8-3 cm, segments again lobed, base truncate or nearly cordate, apices of segments 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 pubescent or glabrous; receptacle glabrous or pubescent; sepals 3-5 × 1-4 mm, pubescent or glabrous; petals 5, 3-6 × 1-5 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. |
cylindric to ovoid-cylindric, 4-13 × 4-6 mm; achenes 1.2-2.4 × 0.8-2 mm, glabrous; beak subulate, curved or hooked, 0.4-0.8 mm. |
2n | = 28. |
= 16. |
Ranunculus uncinatus |
Ranunculus gelidus |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring–summer (Apr–Aug). | Flowering late spring–summer (Jun–Aug). |
Habitat | Moist meadows or woods, often along streams | Open arctic and alpine slopes |
Elevation | 0-3400 m (0-11200 ft) | 0-4000 m (0-13100 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NM; NV; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC
|
AK; CO; ID; MT; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; NT; YT; Asia
|
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.) |
Plants with small achenes are often separated as Ranunculus verecundus. Achene size varies continuously over the range given, however, and it is not correlated with the minor shape difference mentioned by L. D. Benson (1948). (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 | ||
Synonyms | R. bongardii, R. bongardii var. tenellus, R. uncinatus var. earlei, R. uncinatus var. parviflorus | R. gelidus subsp. grayi, R. grayi, R. verecundus |
Name authority | D. Don: in G. Don, Gen. Hist. 1: 35. (1831) | Karelin & Kirilov: Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 15: 133. (1842) |
Web links |