Copy permalink to share

Ranunculus abortivus Linnaeus. Subgenus: Auricomus. Section: Auricomus. Common name: Kidneyleaf Buttercup, Early Wood Buttercup. Phenology: (Feb-) Mar-Jun. Habitat: Bottomland and other moist forests, low fields, disturbed areas, lawns, roadsides. Distribution: NL (Labrador) to AK, south to FL, TX, and CO.

ID notes: A common plant, sometimes pretty weedy, in shady and sunny places, recognizable from its cordate, basal leaves that are broader than long, and with distinctive broad teeth that are flattish.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, Can, Fl2, FNA3, GrPl, GW2, K4, Mi, Mo3, NcTx, NE, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Keener (1976); > Ranunculus abortivus L. var. abortivus — C, F, G, Il; > Ranunculus abortivus L. var. acrolasius Fernald — F, Il; > Ranunculus abortivus L. var. eucyclus Fernald — F; > Ranunculus abortivus L. var. indivisus Fernald — F. Basionym: Ranunculus abortivus L. 1753

Links to other floras: = Ranunculus abortivus - FNA3

Show in key(s)

Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)

Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
  • Great Plains: FAC
  • Midwest: FACW
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FAC

Heliophily ⓘ: 5

Your browser does not support SVGs

Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.

image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Radford, Ahles and Bell | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something wrong or missing on about Ranunculus abortivus? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.


Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect annual/biennial of low fields, disturbed areas, bottomlands, lawns, roadsides.

Stems: Stems occasionally branched, smooth (at least below).

Leaves: Basal leaves petiolate, heart- or kidney-shaped, to 2 in. long, round-toothed; stem leaves alternate, mostly sessile, oblong-lance-shaped and irregularly deeply divided or lobed, the lobes linear to spatula-shaped and entire to toothed; all leaves mostly smooth.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers terminating branches in groups of 1-3; yellow; about 1/4 in. wide; consisting of 5 yellow, broadly lance-shaped to triangular petals, 5 larger green sepals and a central cluster of green ovaries surrounded by a ring of stamens with bright yellow anthers.

Fruits: Fruit an oval cluster of tiny, flat, small-beaked achenes.

Comments:

Height: 6-24 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect annual/biennial of low fields, disturbed areas, bottomlands, lawns, roadsides.

stems: Stems occasionally branched, smooth (at least below).

leaves: Basal leaves petiolate, heart- or kidney-shaped, to 2 in. long, round-toothed; stem leaves alternate, mostly sessile, oblong-lance-shaped and irregularly deeply divided or lobed, the lobes linear to spatula-shaped and entire to toothed; all leaves mostly smooth.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers terminating branches in groups of 1-3; yellow; about 1/4 in. wide; consisting of 5 yellow, broadly lance-shaped to triangular petals, 5 larger green sepals and a central cluster of green ovaries surrounded by a ring of stamens with bright yellow anthers.

fruits: Fruit an oval cluster of tiny, flat, small-beaked achenes.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: North America



0 unsaved edits on this page.