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Key to Ranunculaceae

Ranunculaceae

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1 Shrub or vine; leaves compound (or sometimes some to most of them simple in Clematis).
  2 Leaves opposite, distributed along the stem; sepals 4, white to blue or purplish, 10-50 mm long; wood not yellow; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Anemoneae]
  2 Leaves alternate, clustered together at the top of the usually unbranched, erect stem; sepals 5, maroon, 2-5 mm long; wood yellow; [subfamily Coptidoideae]
1 Herb; leaves compound or simple.
    3 Leaves simple, sometimes deeply cleft or lobed into rounded or elongate segments; [subfamily Ranunculoideae].
    3 Leaves compound, the leaflets either linear or more-or-less petiolulate.

Key to Ranunculaceae, Key A: Subkey in Ranunculaceae

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1 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical, the upper sepal hooded or spurred; [tribe Delphinieae].
  2 Upper sepal hooded or helmet-shaped; petals hidden by the sepals; perianth blue or creamy white; stems weak, clambering, reclining, vining, or ascending in a curve
  2 Upper sepal spurred; petals at least partly exserted from the sepals; perianth blue, pink, white, or greenish; stems strong, erect, normally straight
1 Flowers radially symmetrical, no perianth parts spurred or hooded (except the 5 sepals spurred in Myosurus).
    3 Petals present, white or yellow, larger and more conspicuous than the sepals; sepals present, green; [in other words, with a second, green, less conspicuous perianth whorl below the largest and colored perianth whorl; note that some Anemone have a calyx-like involucre of 3 bracts subtending each flower]; [tribe Ranunculeae].
      4 Basal leaves linear to linear-spatulate, mostly 4-8 cm long, 1-3 mm wide; receptacle elongate, 1-6 cm long (superficially resembling a Plantago inflorescence)
      4 Basal leaves various, but not as above; receptacle globose to sub-cylindric, mostly < 1 cm long
        5 Sepals 3 (-4); petals 7-12; achenes pubescent, beakless; leaves simple, cordate, unlobed; [introduced garden plants]
        5 Sepals (3-) 5 (-6); petals typically 5-9 (10 in some "doubled" forms); achenes smooth or variously ornamented with spines, papillae, or tubercles, sometimes also pubescent; leaves various, usually not at once simple, cordate, and unlobed (except in Halerpestes); [native or introduced].
          6 Cauline leaves present, well-developed; basal leaves not simultaneously cordate and unlobed
    3 Petals absent (or modified into relatively inconspicuous nectaries or staminodia); sepals present and petaloid (white, yellow, yellow-green, cream, or blue).
             7 Petaloid sepals 3-5 mm long, caducous; stamens white and showy; [tribe Ranunculeae]
             7 Petaloid sepals 6-40 mm long, not caducous; stamens not notably white and showy.
               8 Leaves opposite, distributed along the stem; style plumose; [tribe Anemoneae]
               8 Leaves all basal, or with a few alternate or whorled involucrate leaves on the stem; style not plumose.
                 9 Petaloid sepals white, bluish, or blue; basal leaves 3-5 (-7)-lobed; [tribe Anemoneae]
                 9 Petaloid sepals yellow, green, or whitish (sometimes marked with purple); basal leaves unlobed, or palmately cleft into 5-11 (-many) segments.
                     11 Leaves palmately or pedately lobed or divided; sepals green, greenish, dull yellow, or whitish; petals modified into tubular nectaries; [introduced, rarely persistent or escaped from cultivation].
                       12 Sepals 5, green or maroon, persistent in fruit; cauline leaves present; leaf margins sharply and finely serrate; [tribe Helleboreae]
                       12 Sepals 5-8, yellow; cauline leaves either present, alternate, or absent, except for the involucre of 3 bracts which immediately subtends the flower.
                          13 Cauline leaves absent, except the 3 involucral bracts immediately subtending the flower; [tribe Cimicifugeae]
                          13 Cauline leaves present, alternate, the uppermost > 1 cm below the flower; [tribe Helleboreae]

Key to Ranunculaceae, Key B: Subkey in Ranunculaceae

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1 Fruit a follicle, each carpel with 2 or more ovules.
  2 Leaves cordate-reniform, toothed, not lobed or divided; [tribe Caltheae]
  2 Leaves variously palmately or pedately lobed or divided.
    3 Carpels 1-3; plants 3-30 dm tall; [native, except Consolida]; [tribe Delphinieae].
      4 Stems weak, clambering, reclining, or vining
      4 Stems strong, erect
    3 Carpels 3-6; plants 1-5 dm tall; [introduced, rarely persistent or escaping].
        5 Cauline leaves absent, except for the involucre which immediately subtends the fruit; [tribe Cimicifugeae]
        5 Cauline leaves present; [tribe Helleboreae].
1 Fruit an achene (or dehiscent utricle in Trautvetteria), each carpel with 1 ovule.
          6 Leaves opposite, distributed along the stem; style plumose; [tribe Anemoneae]
          6 Leaves all basal, or with a few alternate or whorled involucrate leaves on the stem; style not plumose.
             7 Basal leaves linear to linear-spatulate, mostly 4-8 cm long, 1-3 mm wide; receptacle elongate, 1-6 cm long (superficially resembling a Plantago inflorescence); [tribe Ranunculeae]
             7 Basal leaves various, but not as above, generally long-petiolate, with an expanded, crenate-toothed, 3-lobed, or palmately-lobed blade; receptacle globose to sub-cylindric, mostly < 1 cm long.
               8 Fruit an achene; cauline leaves opposite or whorled (or alternate in Ranunculus, or reduced to alternate scale-like bracts in Halerpestes).
                 9 Cauline leaves opposite or whorled, or reduced to 3 sepal-like involucral bracts immediately subtending the flower; sepals absent (but in “Hepatica” mimicked by the bracts); [tribe Anemoneae]
                 9 Cauline leaves alternate; sepals present; [tribe Ranunculeae]
                     11 Achenes smooth or variously ornamented with spines, papillae, or tubercles, sometimes also pubescent, usually noticeably beaked, the beak > 0.3 mm long; leaves various, usually not at once simple, cordate, and unlobed ; [native or introduced]

Key to Ranunculaceae, Key C: Subkey in Ranunculaceae

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1 Leaflets linear, < 1.5 mm wide.
  2 Flowers bilaterally symmetrical; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Delphineae]
  2 Flowers radially symmetrical.
    3 Aquatic; [native]; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]
    3 Terrestrial; [exotic].
      4 Flower closely subtended by a finely dissected involucre; pistils compound; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Nigelleae]
      4 Flower lacking involucre; pistils simple.
        5 Petals 8-15 mm long, red, purple, or orange; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Adonideae]
        5 Petals 3-5 mm long, yellow; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]
1 Leaflets broader, rounded, lobed, or toothed.
          6 Leaves all cauline, opposite; stems somewhat woody at base; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Anemoneae]
             7 Petals present, conspicuous
               8 Flowers dangling; petals red, orange with yellow, or blue, spurred; [subfamily Thalictroideae]
               8 Flowers not dangling; petals yellow, not spurred; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]
             7 Petals absent or inconspicuous (soon deciduous or altered into a nectary-bearing clavate structure); sepals sometimes petaloid and conspicuous.
                 9 Sepals petaloid, conspicuous, white (or cream, rose, pink, or tinged with green).
                   10 Involucre absent, all leaves on the stem alternate; petaloid sepals 5, white; [subfamily Thalictroideae]
                   10 Involucre of opposite or whorled, leaflike bracts present; petaloid sepals (4-) 5-20 (-30), white, cream, rose, or green.
                     11 Basal leaves with 3-5 leaflets, these toothed or incised; petaloid sepals white, cream, rose, or green; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Anemoneae]
                     11 Basal leaves with > 5 leaflets; these with 0-3 rounded lobes at the tip; petaloid sepals white to pale pink; [subfamily Thalictroideae]
                 9 Sepals absent, or inconspicuous in comparison to the stamens or pistils.
                       12 Leaflets 3; flower solitary; [subfamily Coptidoideae]
                          13 Inflorescence a raceme; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Cimicifugeae]

Key to Ranunculaceae, Key D: Subkey in Ranunculaceae

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1 Fruit a follicle or capsular (or fleshy and berrylike in some Actaea).
  2 Mature leaves > 4 dm wide; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Cimicifugeae]
  2 Mature leaves < 3 dm wide.
      4 Flowers in a raceme, not subtended by an involucre; fruit follicular, each with a 1-2 mm long beak; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Delphineae]
      4 Flower solitary, subtended by a finely divided involucre; fruit a spherical capsule-like structure composed of 5 or 10 partially connate follicles, each follicle terminated by a linear beak 13-20 mm long; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Nigelleae]
    3 Leaflets broad, rounded; [mostly natives].
        5 Follicles borne on stipes, forming an umbel-like cluster; rhizomes yellow or orange; [subfamily Coptidoideae]
        5 Follicles sessile; rhizomes brown or tan; [subfamily Thalictroideae].
          6 Follicles 15-31 mm long, with beaks 7-18 mm long
          6 Follicles 3.5-6.5 mm long, with beaks 1.5-3 mm long
1 Fruit an achene.
             7 Leaves divided into numerous linear segments, all of which are < 1 mm wide.
               8 Plant aquatic (if leaves divided into numerous linear segments); [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]
               8 Plant terrestrial.
                 9 Achenes 3-5 mm long, glabrous, with a persistent beak 0.5-1 mm long; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Adonideae]
                 9 Achenes 1.6-2 mm long, tomentose, with a persistent beak 3.5-4.5 mm long; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]
             7 Leaf segments rounded or cleft, > 1 mm wide.
                   10 Leaves cauline, opposite; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Anemoneae]
                   10 Leaves basal and/or cauline, cauline leaves (if present) alternate (leaflike involucral bracts sometimes present and opposite or whorled).
                       12 Achenes not ribbed or veined on lateral surfaces; leaf texture moderate to distinctly thick and leathery; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Anemoneae]
                       12 Achenes conspicuously ribbed or veined on lateral surfaces; leaf texture thin, delicate; [subfamily Thalictroideae]
                          13 Leaflets 3-many, if many the leaflets typically with teeth, or sharp lobes; [subfamily Ranunculoideae, tribe Ranunculeae]
                          13 Leaflets many, unlobed or typically with 3-9 rounded lobes; [subfamily Thalictroideae]