Ranunculus gmelinii : Small Water Buttercup

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Ranunculaceae (Crowfoot/Buttercup Family)

Genera: Ranunculus (Buttercup) (diminutive of Lat. rana= a little frog; alluding to the marsh habitats of many species)

Species: gmelinii (named for a family of German botanists living in the 1700-1800's)

Synonym(s): R. purshii

English Name(s):

Small Water Buttercup, Yellow Water Buttercup/Crowfoot

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plant herbaceous (not woody) with colourless acrid (bitter) juice.
• Plant aquatic, submerged or emergent.
• Stems 10-50cm long, rooting at nodes, glabrous (hairless) or somewhat pubescent (hairy).

Leaves:

• Mostly cauline (on stem), alternate, 0.8-1.5cm wide, 3-parted and then again divided, usually into linear segments.

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers terminal (at tip), or axillary (on side branches), perfect (bisexual) and of regular symmetry.
• Sepals 2.5-3.0mm long.
• Petals yellow, 3.5-4.0mm long.
• Ovaries superior (above floral parts).

Seed:

• Fruit an ovoid shaped cluster of achenes.
• Achenes 1.0-1.5mm long, glabrous, beak curved, 0.6-0.8mm long.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Ranunculus aquatilis (Water Buttercup) can be distinguished by its white flowers.
• Ranunculus hyperboreas (Arctic Buttercup) can be distinguished by the 3-parted leaves not being again divided.

Physiology:

• There are 2 subspecies of R.gmelinii in Central Yukon. R.gmelinii ssp. gmelinii and ssp. purshii. The later can be distinguished by its larger leaves and longer sepals and petals.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial

Seasonal Cycle:

• plants deciduous from rootstock.
• Still blooming in late July.

Animal Uses:

• Many diferent sorts of nectar eating insects visit the flowers. They are attracted by the bright yellow flowers.

Habitat:

• Shallow water of ponds, borders of lakes, mudflats, and swamps.

Modern:

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Traditional Gwich'in:

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