Ranunculus sceleratus

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 551. 1753.

Common names: Cursed crowsfoot renoncule scélérate
Synonyms: Hecatonia scelerata (Linnaeus) Fourreau
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems erect, glabrous, rooting at base, only very rarely rooting at proximal nodes. Leaves basal and cauline, basal and proximal cauline leaf-blades reniform to semicircular in outline, 3-lobed or parted, 1-5 × 1.6-6.8 cm, base truncate to cordate, segments usually again lobed or parted, sometimes undivided, margins crenate or crenate-lobulate, apex rounded or occasionally obtuse. Flowers: receptacle pubescent or glabrous; sepals 3-5, reflexed from or near base, 2-5 × 1-3 mm, glabrous or sparsely hirsute; petals 3-5, 2-5 × 1-3 mm; nectary on petal surface, scale poorly developed and forming crescent-shaped or circular ridge surrounding but not covering nectary; style absent. Heads of achenes ellipsoid or cylindric heads, 5-13 × 3-7 mm; achenes 1-1.2 × 0.8-1 mm, glabrous; beak deltate, usually straight, 0.1 mm.

Distribution

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., N.S., N.W.T., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., D.C., Del., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Mass., Md., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., N.C., N.Dak., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Nebr., Nev., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., Vt., W.Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo., Eurasia

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Ranunculus sceleratus varieties were used by the Thompson Indians as a poison for their arrow points (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Faces of achene with fine transverse wrinkles; leaf blades lobed or parted, segments undivided or lobed, margins crenate. Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus
1 Faces of achene smooth; leaf blades always parted (often deeply so), segments lobed or parted, margins deeply crenate or lobulate. Ranunculus sceleratus var. multifidus

"high" is not a number.

... more about "Ranunculus sceleratus"
not prolonged +
compressed-ellipsoid +  and discoid +
1.2-3 times as wide as thick +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
with weak transverse wrinkles +  and smooth +
0.8mm;1mm +
1cm;5cm +
obtuse +, rounded +, crenate-lobulate +, crenate +, parted +, lobed +, truncate +  and cordate +
1.6cm;6.8cm +
Alan T. Whittemore +
Linnaeus +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
obtuse +, rounded +, crenate-lobulate +, crenate +, parted +, lobed +, truncate +  and cordate +
1.6cm;6.8cm +
straight +
deltate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (?) +
lobed;divided or deeply dissected +
large +  and small +
globose;cylindric +
Cursed crowsfoot +  and renoncule scélérate +
2-25-flowered +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, N.S. +, N.W.T. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Ala. +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, D.C. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Md. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Va. +, Vt. +, W.Va. +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and Eurasia +
large +  and expanded +
showy +  and inconspicuous +
sessile +  and aggregate +
cylindric;obovoid;cylindric;obovoid;globose;lenticular;discoid +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
cylindric;ellipsoid +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
axillary +  and terminal +
reniform +  and linear +
petiolate +, compound +  and simple +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
cauline +  and basal +
parted +  and lobed +
palmate +  and pinnate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
obtuse;rounded;crenate-lobulate;crenate;parted;lobed;truncate;cordate +
1.6cm;6.8cm +
distinct +
conspicuous +
linear +  and orbiculate +
reduced +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (2.6 cm26 mm <br />0.026 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
4 +  and 250 +
glabrous +  and pubescent +
circular +  and crescent--shaped +
nodal +  and basal +
not arillate +  and stalked +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +  and 5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
obtuse +, rounded +, crenate-lobulate +, crenate +, parted +, lobed +, truncate +  and cordate +
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (?) +  and 6.8 cm68 mm <br />0.068 m <br /> (?) +
white;yellow;white;yellow;purple;sometimes;green +
deciduous +
distinct +
hirsute +  and glabrous +
3 +  and 5 +
oblong +  and elliptic ovate or lanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
(5-)10-many +
persistent +
Hecatonia scelerata +
Ranunculus sceleratus +
Ranunculus sect. Hecatonia +
species +
funnel--shaped +
perennial +  and annual +
hirsute +  and glabrous +
herbaceous +  and woody +