Copy permalink to share

Ranunculus pusillus Poiret. Subgenus: Auricomus. Section: Flammula. Common name: Low Spearwort, Small Spearwort. Phenology: Apr-Jun. Habitat: Marshes, ditches, other wet habitats. Distribution: S. NY south to c. peninsular FL, west to c. TX, north in the interior to OH, IN, and MO.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, Fl2, FNA3, G, GW2, Il, K4, Mo3, NcTx, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, S13, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Keener (1976); > Ranunculus lindheimeri Engelm. — S; > Ranunculus oblongifolius Elliott — S, S13; > Ranunculus pusillus Poir. — S, S13; > Ranunculus pusillus Poir. var. angustifolius (Engelm.) L.D.Benson — NS; > Ranunculus pusillus Poir. var. pusillus — NS; > Ranunculus tener C.Mohr — S, S13; Ranunculus pusillus Poir. Basionym: Ranunculus pusillus Poir. 1804

Links to other floras: = Ranunculus pusillus - 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: OBL
  • Great Plains: OBL
  • Midwest: OBL
  • Northcentral & Northeast: OBL

Heliophily ⓘ: 6

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© Alan Cressler: Ranunculus pusillus, Gabbro Glades, Oconee National Forest, Jasper County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Alan Weakley source | Original Image ⭷

Feedback

See something missing or incorrect about Ranunculus pusillus? Let us know here:

  1. Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
  2. If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
  3. Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
  4. Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
  5. Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.

Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect or ascending, colonial annual of marshes, ditches, depression pools and other shallowly seasonally flooded, muddy habitats.

Stems: Stems weak, simple or loosely branched, smooth and sometimes with a white-waxy coating.

Leaves: Basal leaves petiolate (winged-clasping base), lance-oval, 1/3-1 in. long, entire; upper leaves alternate, short-petiolate to sessile, linear to narrowly oblong, sometimes remotely toothed.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in terminal and axillary racemes; pale yellow; less than 1/4 in. wide; consisting of 1-3 pale yellow petals, 5 slightly smaller yellowish-green sepals, and a central green, compound ovary ringed by a few stamens.

Fruits: Fruit a button-like clump of tiny, brown achenes.

Comments:

Height: 4-20 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect or ascending, colonial annual of marshes, ditches, depression pools and other shallowly seasonally flooded, muddy habitats.

stems: Stems weak, simple or loosely branched, smooth and sometimes with a white-waxy coating.

leaves: Basal leaves petiolate (winged-clasping base), lance-oval, 1/3-1 in. long, entire; upper leaves alternate, short-petiolate to sessile, linear to narrowly oblong, sometimes remotely toothed.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in terminal and axillary racemes; pale yellow; less than 1/4 in. wide; consisting of 1-3 pale yellow petals, 5 slightly smaller yellowish-green sepals, and a central green, compound ovary ringed by a few stamens.

fruits: Fruit a button-like clump of tiny, brown achenes.

comments:

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:



0 unsaved edits on this page.