Stems erect or decumbent, sometimes rooting nodally, hispid or strigose, base not bulbous. Roots never tuberous. Basal leaf blades ovate to deltate in outline, 3-foliolate or outer blades merely 3-parted, 2-13.4 × 2.4-16.8 cm, leaflets undivided to lobed or parted, ultimate segments narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate to circular, margins toothed, apex acuminate to rounded. Flowers: receptacle hispid; sepals spreading or reflexed, 4-10 × 2-5 mm, hispid; petals 5, yellow, 8-16 × 3-9 mm. Heads of achenes hemispheric to short-ovoid, 6-10 × 7-10 mm; achenes 2.2-5.2 × 2-3.8 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib or broad wing 0.1-1.2 mm wide; beak persistent, lance-subulate, straight or somewhat curved, 0.8-2.6 mm.

Distribution

North America.

Discussion

Varieties 3

Until recently, the varieties of Ranunculus hispidus were usually treated as distinct species. Arguments for restoring species status to R. hispidus var. nitidus were given by G. L. Nesom (1993).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Ranunculus hispidus var. caricetorum, Ranunculus hispidus var. hispidus, Ranunculus hispidus var. nitidus

Key

1	Stems erect or nearly erect, never rooting at nodes.	Ranunculus hispidus var. hispidus
1	Stems decumbent, sometimes rooting at nodes.	> 2
2	Sepals spreading or reflexed from base; achene margins 0.1–0.2 mm broad.	Ranunculus hispidus var. caricetorum
2	Sepals reflexed 1 mm above base; achene margins 0.4–1.2 mm broad.	Ranunculus hispidus var. nitidus