Ranunculus

Contains 13 accepted taxa overall.

Characteristics
Ranunculus L.
RANUNCULACEAE
BUTTERCUP
View USF Herbarium specimens of this family
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Classification
RANUNCULALES
Ranunculus
Citation
RANUNCULUS Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 548. 1753.
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TYPE: Ranunculus auricomus Linnaeus Lectotypified by Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S., ed. 2. 2: 104. 1913.
Species
Scientific Name Common Name Herbarium Specimens Status Photos
Ranunculus abortivus LITTLELEAF BUTTERCUP Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus hispidus BRISTLY BUTTERCUP Native
Ranunculus hispidus var. nitidus BRISTLY BUTTERCUP; MARSH BUTTERCUP Native FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus laxicaulis MISSISSIPPI BUTTERCUP Not Native Endangered-State OBL (NWPL)
Ranunculus marginatus var. trachycarpus MARGINED BUTTERCUP Not Native FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus muricatus SPINYFRUIT BUTTERCUP Not Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus parviflorus SMALLFLOWER BUTTERCUP Not Native FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus platensis PRAIRIE BUTTERCUP Not Native FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus pusillus LOW SPEARWORT Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus recurvatus BLISTERWORT; HOOKED BUTTERCUP Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus sardous HAIRY BUTTERCUP Not Native FAC (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus sceleratus CURSED CROWFOOT Native OBL (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
Ranunculus trilobus THREELOBE BUTTERCUP Not Native FACW (NWPL) FACW (DEP)
[Family identification key]
1.  All leaf blades entire, undulate, to toothed (rarely lobed or compound)
2
1.  At least some leaf blades distinctly lobed (sinuses at least ½ the blade length), divided, or compound, the basal ones sometimes unlobed or undivided
3
2.  Petals 4-6, 2-6 mm long; achene 0.8-1 mm long
R. laxicaulis
2.  Petals 1-3, 1.5-2.5 mm long; achene 1-1.2 mm long
R. pusillus
3.  Basal leaves mostly crenate and unlobed
R. abortivus
3.  Basal leaves lobed, divided, or with coarse teeth
4
4.  Flowers sessile, opposite the leaves
R. platensis
4.  Flowers pedicellate, axillary
5
5.  Fruiting head ellipsoid
R. sceleratus
5.  Fruiting head globose
6
6.  Petals 1-2 mm long; achene with hooked bristles
R. parviflorus
6.  Petals 3-12 mm long; achene lacking bristles
7
7.  Petals 7-12 mm long
8
7.  Petals 3-8 mm long
10
8.  Sepals reflexed along well-defined transverse fold 1-3 mm above base; styles laterally stigmatic; achene beak 0.4-0.7 mm long
R. sardous
8.  Sepals spreading, sometimes reflexed from base with age; styles stigmatic only at the tip; achene beak 0.8-2.6 mm long
9
9.  Stems erect or nearly erect, never rooting at nodes
R. hispidus var. hispidus
9.  Stems decumbent, sometimes rooting at nodes
R. hispidus var. nitidus
10.  Petals 3-5 mm long; achene face smooth
R. recurvatus
10.  Petals 4-8 mm long; achene face tuberculate to spiny
11
11.  Achene face with low rounded protuberuances; achene beak 0.3–0.7 mm
R. trilobus
11.  Achene face with spiny protuberances; achene beak 1–2.5 mm
12
12.  Peduncle usually longer than the subtending leaf; achene faces but not margin covered with high sharp tubercles or low spines; achene beak ca. 1 mm long
R. marginatus var. trachycarpus
12.  Peduncle usually subequal to shorter than the subtending leaf; achene faces but not margin covered with long spines; achene beak 2–2.5 mm long
R. muricatus
Genus Synonyms
Synonym Full Citation Basionym Type
Aphanostemma Aphanostemma A. Saint-Hilaire, in A. Saint-Hilaire et al., Fl. Bras. Merid. 1: 12. 1824. TYPE: Aphanostemma apiifolia (Persoon) A. Saint-Hilaire (Ranunculus apiifolius Persoon)
Arcteranthis Arcteranthis Greene, Pittonia 3: 190. 1897. TYPE: Arcteranthis coolleyae (Vasey & Rose) Greene (Ranunculus coolleyae Vasey & Rose)
Batrachium Batrachium (de Candolle) Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 720. 1821. BASIONYM: Ranunculus Linnaeus, sect. Batrachium de Candolle, Syst. Nat. 1: 232, 233. 1817. TYPE: Batrachium hederaceum (Linnaeus) Gray (Ranunculus hederaceus Linnaeus) Lectotypified by Britton & A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S., ed. 2. 2: 115. 1913.
Beckwithia Beckwithia Jepson, Erythea 6: 97, pl. 1. 1898. TYPE: Beckwithia austinae Jepson
Casalea Casalea A. Saint-Hilaire, in A. Saint-Hilaire et al., Fl. Bras. Merid. 1: 8. 1824. TYPE: Non designatus.
Cyprianthe Cyprianthe Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 7: 220. 1839. TYPE: Cyprianthe anemonoides Spach, nom. illegit. (Ranunculus asiaticus Linnaeus)
Cyrtorhyncha Cyrtorhyncha Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 26. 1838. TYPE: Cyrtorhyncha ranunculina Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray
Ficaria Ficaria Schaeffer, Bot. Exped. 156. 1760. TYPE: Ficaria verna Hudson (Ranunculus ficaria Linnaeus)
Flammula Flammula (Webb ex Spach) Fourreau, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, ser. 2. 16: 324. 1868. BASIONYM: Ranunculus Linnaeus, subg. Flammula Webb ex Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 7: 208. 1839. TYPE: Non designatus.
Gampoceras Gampoceras Steven, Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 25(1): 542. 1852. TYPE: Gampoceras pinardii Steven
Hecatonia Hecatonia Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 291, 302. 1790. TYPE: Non designatus.
Hericinia Hericinia Fourreau, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, ser. 2. 16: 325. 1868. TYPE: Hericinia arvensis (Linnaeus) Fourreau (Ranunculus arvensis Linnaeus) Substitute name for Pachyloma Spach 1839, non de Candolle 1828.
Ionosmanthus Ionosmanthus Jordan & Fourreau, Icon Fl. Eur. 2: 13. 1869. TYPE: Ranunculus bullatus Linnaeus
Krapfia Krapfia de Candolle, Syst. Nat. 1: 130, 228. 1817. TYPE: Krapfia ranunculina de Candolle
Kumlienia Kumlienia Greene, Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 337. 1886. TYPE: Kumlienia hystricula (A. Gray) Greene (Ranunculus hystriculus A. Gray)
Pachyloma Pachyloma Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 7: 194. 1839, non de Candolle 1828. TYPE: Pachyloma arvense (Linnaeus) Spach (Ranunculus arvensis Linnaeus) = Hericinia Fourreau 1868.
Scotanum Scotanum Adanson, Fam. Pl. 459. 1763. TYPE: Ranunculus ficaria Linnaeus; = Ficaria Schaeffer 1760.
Stylurus Stylurus Rafinesque, Fl. Ludov. 27. 1817, non Salisbury ex Knight 1809. TYPE: Stylurus fistulosus Rafinesque.
Thora Thora Hill, Brit. Herbal 29. 1756. TYPE: Ranunculus thora Linnaeus
Xiphocoma Xiphocoma Steven, Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 25(1): 537. 1852. TYPE: Xiphocoma orientalis (Linnaeus) Steven (Ranunculus orientalis Linnaeus)