Early wood buttercup

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Early wood buttercup

Early wood buttercup basal leaves

Early wood buttercup flower

Early wood buttercup upper stem leaves

Early wood buttercup sepals and petals

Early wood buttercup

Early wood buttercup stem leaves

Early wood buttercup leaves

Morphology

Stem

Usually single, occasionally several, erect or nearly erect, frequently branched above, hollow, somewhat succulent, glabrous throughout or sparsely pubescent above.

Leaves

Alternate, variable, glabrous; basal leaves persistent, simple, long-stalked, heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, 2/5 to 3 inches across, undivided or sometimes 2-3-lobed; margins scalloped; stalk 4/5 to 6 inches long; base shallowly to deeply heart-shaped; stem leaves sessile to nearly sessile, usually 3-5-cleft; segments varying from linear-lanceolate with entire margins to egg-shaped with irregularly toothed margins; upper stem leaves divided to base into narrow segments, reduced to bracts above.

Inflorescence

Flowers, 3-50, borne singly on terminal or axillary stalks.

Flower

Somewhat inconspicuous, 1/6 to 1/4 inch across; sepals 5, ovate to elliptic, 1/10 to 1/6 inch long, spreading, glabrous to minutely hairy on lower surface, greenish-yellow, margins whitish; petals 5, elliptic or lanceolate, 1/12 to 1/8 inch long, shorter than sepals, lustrous, golden yellow, fading white; stamens 15-30; anthers yellow; pistils green.

Fruit

Achenes, tiny, egg-shaped, 1/20 to 1/13 inch long, shiny, 10-50 in egg-shaped to short-cylindric head that is 1/8 to 1/3 inch long, 1/10 to 1/5 inch wide.

Ecology

Habitat

Damp shaded areas, open woods, borders of woods and thickets, stream banks, ditches, roadsides, waste ground; moist soils.

Distribution

East 2/3 of Kansas

Practical Information

Toxicity

Some Ranunculus species are reported to be toxic to livestock when consumed in large amounts. Toxicity decreases when dried in hay. Symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and blindness.

Uses

Native Americans used the juice as a sedative, gargled an infusion for sore throats, and cooked and ate the leaves as greens. Smashed roots were boiled and the liquid taken to counteract poisons and to relieve sore muscles.

Additional Notes