Ranunculus sardous
Stirp. Austr. Fasc. 2: 84. 1763.
Stems nearly erect, hispid, base not bulbous. Basal and lower cauline leaf blades ovate to cordate, 3-foliolate, 2-6 × 2-6 cm, leaflets again parted, leaflet base truncate to acute, margins crenate-dentate to crenate-lobulate, apex rounded to obtuse. Flowers pedicellate; receptacle pilose; sepals 5, reflexed, 3-8 × 1.5-3 mm, pilose; petals 5, 7-10 × 4-8 mm. Heads of achenes globose or ovoid, 5-8 × 6-7 mm; achenes 15-35 per head, 2-3 × 2-3 mm, faces sparsely papillate or sometimes smooth, glabrous, margin smooth; beak oblong to deltate, curved, 0.4-0.7 mm.
Phenology: Flowering late winter–summer (Mar–Aug).
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, open woods
Elevation: 0-200 m
Distribution
B.C., Ala., Ark., Calif., Fla., Ga., Ill., Kans., Ky., La., Md., Miss., Mo., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., native to Europe, Pacific Islands, Australia.
Discussion
Ranunculus sardous was collected in New Brunswick and Ontario in the 1800s, but it apparently has not persisted in those provinces.
Selected References
None.