Ranunculus flabellaris
Amer. Monthly Mag. & Crit. Rev. 2: 344. 1818.
Stems floating or prostrate, glabrous, rooting at proximal nodes. Leaves: basal leaves seldom present, cauline leaf blades semicircular to reniform, 1-6×-lobed, parted, or dissected 1.2-7.3 × 1.9-10.8 cm, base truncate or cordate, segment margins entire or crenate, apex rounded to filiform. Flowers: receptacle sparsely hispid; sepals 5, spreading or weakly reflexed, 5-7 × 3-6 mm, glabrous; petals 5-6(-14), 7-12 × 5-9 mm; nectary scale variable, crescent-shaped, funnel-shaped, or flaplike; style 0.8-1.2 mm. Heads of achenes ovoid, 8-10 × 7-8 mm; achenes 1.8-2.2 × 1.6-2.2 mm, glabrous; beak lanceolate, straight, 1-1.8 mm. 2n = 32.
Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer (May–Aug).
Habitat: Shallow water or drying mud
Elevation: 0-1500 m
Distribution
Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Ont., Que., Ala., Ark., Calif., Conn., Del., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., Wis., Wyo.
Discussion
The Fox tribes used Ranunculus flabellaris as a cold remedy and a respiratory aid (D. E. Moerman 1986).
Selected References
None.