About Ranunculus macounii Britton
Common Name
Ranunculus macounii is a species of buttercup, commonly called Macoun's buttercup.
North American Range
It is native to a large portion of North America, with its range covering areas from Alaska and northwestern Canada to Newfoundland and Labrador. It also grows across most of the contiguous United States, excluding the northeastern and southeastern regions.
Habitat Type
It occupies many types of moist habitat, including marshes, and wet areas within woodlands and scrub. It is typically semi-aquatic, growing in or beside shallow water, or in muddy locations.
Growth Form
This plant is a perennial herb.
Stem Characteristics
It can produce prostrate, spreading stems that root at nodes that touch moist substrate, or it can grow as an erect, branching plant. Stems are generally hairy, though populations of hairless specimens have been recorded.
Leaf Structure
Most of its leaves are divided into three lobed, toothed leaflets, which grow on long, hairy petioles.
Flower Structure
Each flower has five shiny yellow petals less than one centimeter long, arranged around a center that holds many stamens and pistils.
Fruit Characteristics
Its fruit is an achene, produced in a spherical cluster that contains 20 or more achenes.
