Ranunculus glaberrimus, the sagebrush buttercup,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to interior western North America, in western Canada, the western United States, and the northwestern Great Plains.
| Ranunculus glaberrimus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Ranunculus |
| Species: | R. glaberrimus
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| Binomial name | |
| Ranunculus glaberrimus | |
Distribution
editRanunculus glaberrimus is found from central British Columbia east to southern Saskatchewan, south through the Dakotas to Kansas, through the Rocky Mountains southeast to northern New Mexico, west to the Great Basin region, and southwest to northeastern California.
It occurs in habitat types with junipers (Juniperus occidentalis), sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), in damp ground.[2][3][4]
Description
editRanunculus glaberrimus is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 4–15 centimetres (1+1⁄2–6 in) tall. The roots are clustered and fleshy.[4] The somewhat thick basal leaves are oval, with long petioles, ranging from entire to having three deep lobes. Cauline leaves have short petioles but are otherwise similar. The flowers have four to ten yellow petals (usually five)[4] about 1 cm long.[5] The sepals are yellow-purple,[4] and the stamens and pistils are numerous.[5] It flowers relatively early, typically in March and April, though occasionally blooming in February.[4][6]
The species is reportedly toxic to livestock and possibly to humans as well.[7]
Gallery
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Flowers and flower buds -
Emerging through snow -
Group of plants on Olympic Peninsula
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Ranunculus glaberrimus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Ranunculus glaberrimus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ Plants of British Columbia: Ranunculus glaberrimus
- ^ a b c d e Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 34. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
- ^ a b Ranunculus glaberrimus. Flora of North America.
- ^ Webmaster, David Ratz. "Sagebrush Buttercup - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Reiner, Ralph E. (1969). Introducing the Flowering Beauty of Glacier National Park and the Majestic High Rockies. Glacier Park, Inc. p. 62.
External links
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- Ranunculus glaberrimus var. ellipticus. Burke Museum, University of Washington.
- Ranunculus glaberrimus. The Jepson eFlora 2013.
- Ranunculus glaberrimus. CalPhotos.
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