About Ranunculus gmelinii DC.
Ranunculus gmelinii, commonly called Gmelin's buttercup or small yellow water-crowfoot, is a flowering plant species belonging to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. This species is native to northern North America, where it grows across Canada, and in the northern and higher elevation regions of the United States. It is also found in Eurasia. Ranunculus gmelinii is a perennial herb. It produces prostrate stems that grow across moist ground, or floating stems that grow in shallow water. Plants range from hairy to completely hairless. Its leaf blades are round or kidney-shaped, and are divided into three segments that may be further subdivided. The plant's yellow petals measure 4 to 14 millimeters in length. This species grows in wetland habitats and on shorelines. Ranunculus gmelinii is not a globally threatened species, but it becomes rare in habitats at the edges of its overall range. It is protected as a threatened plant in the U.S. state of Maine. Its variety Ranunculus gmelinii var. hookeri is listed as a state endangered plant in Wisconsin, and the species is listed as endangered in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. This species was named to honor Johann Georg Gmelin, who lived from 1709 to 1755.
