E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Ranunculus orthorhynchus Hook. var. orthorhynchus
straight-beaked buttercup (straightbeak buttercup)
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Réal Sarrazin  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #26744)

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Distribution of Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. orthorhynchus
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from mass of thick, fibrous roots, sometimes fleshy and more or less tuberous; stems usually several, decumbent to erect, 20-60 (100) cm tall/long, somewhat hollow; plants stiff-hairy to less commonly smooth.
Leaves:
Basal narrowly egg-shaped to oblong or semicircular, the blades usually pinnately 3- to 5-lobed or -parted, 3-12.5 cm long, 2.5-14 cm wide, the segments or leaflets undivided or 1- to 2-times lobed or parted, the ultimate segments linear to circular, margins toothed or entire, tips rounded to narrowly pointed, the stout stalks to 25 cm long; stem leaves alternate, shorter-stalked, more deeply divided, the ultimate segments linear.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a few-flowered terminal cyme; flower stalks to 15 cm long; receptacle stiff-hairy; petals 5 or 6, distinct, yellow or red on the back, yellow above, 8-18 mm long, 4-11 mm wide, nectary on upper surface, the nectary scale smooth, 0.5-1 mm long; sepals 5, bent back 1-2 mm from base, early deciduous, often purplish-tinged, 5-11 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, stiff-hairy, soft-hairy or smooth; stamens 50-70; pistils 5-50.
Fruits:
Achenes, several to many in a globe- to egg-shaped head 5-13 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, the achenes broadly egg-shaped, 2.8-4.5 mm long, 1.8-3.2 mm wide, smooth, margins conspicuous and slightly keeled above; beaks persistent, narrowly lanceolate- to awl-shaped, straight, 1.8-4 (5) mm long.
Notes:
Two varieties are recognized in BC:

1. Petals yellow, tinged with red or purple on the back, usually over twice as long as wide; heads of achenes hemispheric or sometimes globe-shaped, 5-7 mm long................ var. orthorhynchus

1. Petals yellow, not tinged with red or purple, usually less than twice as long as wide; heads of achenes globe- or egg-shaped, 8-13 mm long..................... var. platyphyllus A. Gray

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Wet to moist meadows, thickets, streambanks, and tidal marshes in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; var. orthorhynchus - common in coastal BC, rare inland, var. platyphyllus - rare along the coast, more frequent inland in S BC; N to SE AK and S to WY, UT, NV and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Ranunculus orthorhynchus subsp. alaschensis (L.D. Benson) Hultén
Ranunculus orthorhynchus subsp. orthorhynchus
Ranunculus orthorhynchus subsp. platyphyllus (A. Gray) Roy L. Taylor & MacBryde
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. alaschensis L.D. Benson
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. hallii Jeps.
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. platyphyllus A. Gray
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. typicus L.D. Benson

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References