Ranunculus

Scientific name

Ranunculus L.

Common names

buttercup, water crowfoot

Family

Ranunculaceae

Similar genera

Cabomba, Caltha, Comarum, Ficaria, Hydrocotyle, Limnophila, Myriophyllum, Potentilla

Native distribution

cosmopolitancosmopolitan:
(adj) essentially worldwide in distribution

Species cultivated

Ranunculus aquatilis L.

R. flagelliformis Sm.

R. flammula L.

R. inundatus R.Br. ex DC.

R. limosella F.Muell. ex Kirk

R. lingua L.

R. papulentus Melville

R. peltatus Schrank

Adventive distribution

Ranunculus ficaria L., R. acris L. and R. repens L. are introduced into the United States from Europe.

R. flammula is introduced into Australia and New Zealand.

R. sceleratus L. is introduced into New Zealand, Australia and Tasmania, but hasn't been reported here for about 100 years.

Weed status

Ranunculus acris and R. repens are considered noxious weeds.

Habit

submerged submerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
stem plantstem plant:
(n) (a term used in the aquarium and pond plant trade) having an elongate stem (as opposed to a compact stem)
to emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
or terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
, stoloniferous rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
plant

Brief description

Annual or perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
. Stem variable, compact or elongate, erect or ascending; submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
aquatic species usually with elongate stems while emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
species often compact. Leaves highly variable, in a rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
or caulinecauline:
(adj) pertaining to or belonging to the stem
, alternatealternate:
(adj) (of leaves) bearing one leaf per node; placed singly on the stem at different heights
or whorledwhorled:
(n) bearing whorls; a type of leaf arrangement (phyllotaxis) in which leaves are in whorls
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
linear to orbicularorbicular:
(adj) circular in outline
, lobedlobed:
(adj) divided into (usually rounded) segments
to palmately divided; segments of submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
leaves capillarycapillary:
(adj) slender, hair-like
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
solitary or flowers in a cymosecymose:
(adj) in the form of a cyme; bearing cymes
panicle. Flowers actinomorphicactinomorphic:
(adj) of flowers, having radial symmetry; capable of being bisected into identifical halves along more than one axis
; sepals 5; petals (nectar leaves) 5, distinctive, rounded, yellow or white. Dispersal of fruit (nutlets) by water, possibly by animals.

Natural habitat

pond margins, along streams, often on wet ground

Additional comments

Ranunculus consists of approximately 400 species, about 35 of which are aquatic. A highly morphologically variable genus in regard to vegetativevegetative:
(adj) (1) pertaining to or to the growth of plant organs or plant parts that have nonreproductive functions, such as leaves, roots, stems, etc.; (2) concering non sexual propagules such as tubers, turions, stem fragments, root crowns, rhizomes
morphology, yet its flowers are relatively uniform and distinctive, varying often in petalpetal:
(n) one segment of the corolla
shape, size and presence.