Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ranunculus acris
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Tall Buttercup from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ranunculus acris var. acris
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Ranunculus acris
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-13-016:
Ranunculus acris FAMILY Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Ranunculus acris
COMMON NAME:
Tall Buttercup, Bitter Buttercup
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970 swus_page_187
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C.A.M. Lindman wik_ranunculus_acris
An illustration from Lindman's Bilder ur Nordens Flora, in the public domain.
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JK Marlow jkm150425_867
April Sevier County TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Larger leaves appearing (3-)5-parted, all of the segments sessile, per Weakley's Flora (2012).
)
JK Marlow jkm150425_874
April Sevier County TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
)
JK Marlow jkm150425_878
April Sevier County TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
)
JK Marlow jkm150425_880
April Sevier County TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
)
JK Marlow jkm150425_882
April Sevier County TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
)
JK Marlow jkm120523_164
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm120523_166
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Sepals spreading, 4-6mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm120523_171
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Cauline leaves generally similar to basal but smaller and often less divided, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm120523_175
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Leaves to 4" wide, palmately divided into 5 or 7 unstalked narrow segments, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm150505_918
May Jackson County NC
Coarse erect perennial to 1.2m tall. Flowers numerous in an open inflorescence, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ranunculus acris
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ranunculus acris var. acris
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Ranunculus acris
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-13-016:
Ranunculus acris
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Ranunculus acris
3075
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Pastures, fields, roadsides, lawns, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Uncommon in Carolina Mountains & NC Piedmont (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Simple: Larger leaves appearing (3-)5-parted, all segments sessile
Basal & alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Yellow/Whitish
Radially symmetrical
3-5 spreading sepals
5 petals
Numerous stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
Flowers numerous, in an open inflorescence
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Aggregate of achenes
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p261
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p077
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p049
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