Ranunculus gmelinii, Gmelin's buttercup[1] or small yellow water-crowfoot,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs across Canada and the northern and higher-elevation regions of the United States.[2][3] It is also present in Eurasia.[3]
| Ranunculus gmelinii | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Ranunculus |
| Species: | R. gmelinii
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| Binomial name | |
| Ranunculus gmelinii | |
| Synonyms | |
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Ranunculus limosus Nutt. | |
This species is a perennial herb growing prostrate stems on moist ground or floating stems in shallow water. It is hairy to hairless. The leaf blades are round or kidney-shaped and are divided into three parts that may be subdivided. The yellow petals are 4 to 14 millimeters long. Ranunculus gmelinii occurs in wetland habitats and on shorelines.[3]
The plant is not a threatened species,[2] but it becomes rare in the habitat on the edges of its range; it is protected as a threatened plant in the state of Maine, and var. hookeri is a state-listed endangered plant in Wisconsin.[4] It is listed as an endangered species in Newfoundland and Labrador.[5]
This species was named in honor of Johann Georg Gmelin (1709-1755).[6]
References
edit- ^ NRCS. "Ranunculus gmelinii". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ a b c Ranunculus gmelinii. NatureServe. 2012.
- ^ a b c Ranunculus gmelinii. Flora of North America.
- ^ Ranunculus gmelinii. USDA PLANTS.
- ^ "Nine Species Protected Under the Province's Endangered Species Act". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. April 29, 2015.
- ^ Ranunculus gmelinii. Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.