Page authors: David Giblin, Don Knoke
Ranunculus grayi
arctic buttercup
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring in the Olympics and Cascades mountains in Washington; Alaska to Oregon, east to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.

Habitat: Alpine.

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies, butterflies, beetles

Description:
General:

Perennial with slender, fibrous roots; stems several, slender, ascending to erect, not nodally rooting, 1- or 2-flowered, scape-like, 3-9 cm. tall.

Leaves:

Basal leaves petiolate, the blades glabrous, 1-2 cm. long, cordate or reniform to ovate and rounded at the base, from 3-lobed to deeply dissected into 7-13 oblong segments.

Flowers:

Pedicles up to 6 cm. long; sepals 5, spreading to reflexed, 2.5-4.5 mm. long, yellowish-green but purplish tinged; petals 5, yellow, 3.5-5 mm. long, short-clawed; nectary scale 0.5 mm. long, the lateral margins forming a pocket, the tip truncate; receptacle ovoid-cylindric, up to 7 mm. long; stamens 20-50; pistils 30-80; stylar beak 0.5 mm. long, recurved.

Fruits:

Achenes 2-2.5 mm. long, obliquely ovate.

Accepted Name:
Ranunculus grayi Britton
Publication: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 18(9): 265. 1891.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Ranunculus gelidus Kar. & Kir., misapplied [FNA3, HC]
Ranunculus gelidus Kar. & Kir. var. grayi (Britton) Hultén
Ranunculus verecundus B.L. Rob. ex Piper [HC, KZ99]
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Ranunculus grayi in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Ranunculus grayi checklist entry

OregonFlora: Ranunculus grayi information

E-Flora BC: Ranunculus grayi atlas page

CalPhotos: Ranunculus grayi photos

26 photographs:
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