Ranunculus uncinatus
Ranunculus orthorhynchus
hook fruit buttercup, little buttercup, woodland buttercup
Bloomer's buttercup, straight-beak buttercup, swamp buttercup
never tuberous.
sometimes fleshy and ± tuberous.
erect, never rooting nodally, hispid or glabrous, base not bulbous.
nearly erect or decumbent, never rooting nodally, hispid, strigose, or glabrous, base not bulbous.
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.
narrowly ovate to oblong or semicircular in outline, simple to 3-5-lobed or -foliolate, 2.8-12.5 × 2.5-14 cm, leaflets or segments undivided or 1-2x-lobed or -parted, ultimate segments circular to linear, margins dentate, crenate, or entire, apex rounded to narrowly acute.
receptacle glabrous;
sepals reflexed or sometimes spreading, 2-3.5 × 1-2 mm, pubescent;
petals 5, yellow, 2-4(-6) × 1-2(-3) mm.
receptacle hispid;
sepals reflexed 1-2 mm above base, 5-11 × 2-4 mm, hispid, hirsute, or glabrous;
petals 5-6, abaxially yellow or red, adaxially yellow, 8-18 × 4-11 mm.
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.
hemispheric to ovoid, 5-13 × 6-10 mm;
achenes 2.8-4.5 × 1.8-3.2 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide;
beak persistent, narrowly lanceolate to subulate, straight, 1.8-3.8(-4.8) mm.
= 28.
Ranunculus uncinatus
Ranunculus orthorhynchus
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 3
The first two varieties (Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. orthorhynchus and R. orthorhynchus var. platyphyllus) are rather weak, intergrading extensively in California and Oregon. By contrast, R. orthorhynchus var. bloomeri often grows with the others with little or no intergradation (although intermediate populations are found in some areas), and it has been treated as a distinct species, R. bloomeri, by many taxonomists.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Basal leaves simple or 3-foliolate, if compound then leaflets undivided, margins crenate; petals retuse. | var. bloomeri |
1. Basal leaves 3–5-foliolate, leaflets lobed or parted, margins entire or dentate; petals truncate or rounded. | → 2 |
2. Heads of achenes hemispheric or sometimes globose, 5–7 mm; petals often abaxially red. | var. orthorhynchus |
2. Heads of achenes globose or ovoid, 8–13 mm; petals yellow. | var. platyphyllus |
SW CO Wildflowers- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
