Ranunculus eschscholtzii
Animadv. Bot. Ranunc. Cand. 2: 16. 1820.
Stems erect or decumbent from short or long caudices, 4-27 cm, glabrous, each with 1-3 flowers. Roots slender, 0.4-1.6 mm thick. Basal leaves persistent, blades reniform or cordate to obovate or broadly oblong, lobed or 3-parted, 0.5-4.1 × 0.8-3.7 cm, segments again 1 (-2) ×-lobed, base obtuse to cordate, apices of segments rounded in outline. Flowers: pedicels glabrous; receptacle glabrous or sparsely pilose; sepals 4-8 × 2-6 mm, abaxially glabrous or pilose; petals 5-8, 6-16 × 4-16 mm; nectary scale glabrous. Heads of achenes cylindric or ovoid, 5-10 × 4-7 mm; achenes 1.4-2 × 1-1.6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; beak lanceolate or subulate, straight (sometimes curved when immature), 0.6-1.8 mm.
Distribution
Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.Mex., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.
Discussion
Varieties 6 (5 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves acute or acuminate. | > 2 |
| 1 | Ultimate segments and sinuses of basal leaves rounded or obtuse (sometimes broadly rounded-acute). | > 3 |
| 2 | Leaf blade reniform, base truncate or cordate. | Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. suksdorfii |
| 2 | Leaf blade obovate to broadly oblong, base obtuse or rounded. | Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. eximius |
| 3 | Middle segments of many basal leaves lobed and toothed or 2×-lobed. | Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. trisectus |
| 3 | Middle segments of basal leaves unlobed or 1×-lobed. | > 4 |
| 4 | Caudices with few or no persistent leaf bases; basal leaves always 3-parted; widespread in w North America. | Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. eschscholtzii |
| 4 | Caudices densely clothed with persistent leaf bases; basal leaves sometimes parted but usually merely lobed; California and w Nevada. | Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. oxynotus |