Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades in Washington, with disjunct populations in the northeast Olympic Mountains and Ross Lake area of Whatcom County; British Columbia to northern California, east to the Great Plains.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert, shrub-steppe and ponderosa pine woodlands.
Flowers: March-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bees, flies, butterflies, beetles
Perennial from a large cluster of fleshy roots, the several stems mostly erect, 5-20 cm. long, nearly glabrous, simple or branched above.
Leaves mostly basal, somewhat fleshy, elliptic to rotund, entire to deeply 3-lobed, the petiole 1-several times as long as the blade; cauline leaves 1-several, similar to the basal leaves but short-petiolate.
Flowers 1-several on petioles up to 10 cm. long; sepals 5, spreading, purplish-tinged, 5-8 mm. long, glabrous to stiff-hairy; petals 5, yellow, 8-15 mm. long; nectary scale wedge-shaped, 1.5-2 mm. long, forming a deep pocket, with hairs along the free portion; receptacle globose; stamens 40-80; pistils 30-150.
Achenes 1.5-2 mm. long, in a semi-globose cluster 10-20 mm. wide.
Publication: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 12. 1829.
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var. ellipticus – sagebrush buttercup
Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington, but disjunct in the Olympic Mountains; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains. -
var. glaberrimus – sagebrush buttercup Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to northern California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Ranunculus glaberrimus in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Ranunculus glaberrimus checklist entry
OregonFlora: Ranunculus glaberrimus information
E-Flora BC: Ranunculus glaberrimus atlas page
CalPhotos: Ranunculus glaberrimus photos
