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- Ranunculus hispidus
Ranunculus hispidus — hispid crowfoot
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Facts
Hispid crowfoot is an uncommon native plant of southern and western New England, where it inhabits dry to moist deciduous forests and woodlands, cliff bases, fields and roadsides, often in calcareous soils.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), cliffs, balds, or ledges, forests, meadows and fields, woodlands
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Leaf type
-
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 2.2–5.2 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Anther spurs
- the anthers do not have spurs on them
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
- the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- NA
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Filament surface
- the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is narrow at the tip and unbranched
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence one-sided
- the flowers are arrayed in a spiral around the inflorescence axis or branches, or occur singly, or in several ranks
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of pistils
- 6 or more
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
- yellow
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- the achenes are perpendicular to the plane of the perianth (vertical)
- Achene shape
- the achenes are another shape in outline
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- the fruit is an achene (dry, indehiscent, and usually one-seeded)
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 2.2–5.2 mm
- Fruit locules
- one
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, usually one-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Placenta arrangement
-
- marginal
- the plant has basal placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the base of a simple or compound ovary
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 2–134 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is triangular, with the stalk or attachment point on one of the sides
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf type
-
- the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet petiolules
- the leaflets of the compound leaf have petiolules
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- the pinnately compound leaves have a terminal leaflet (and usually have an odd number of leaflets per axis)
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipels
- there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- forests
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- woodlands
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of a smell
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- 50–90 cm
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (code: C)
var. caricetorum
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
var. hispidus
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Vermont
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
13. Ranunculus hispidus Michx. NC
hispid crowfoot. Ranunculus hispidus Michx. var. eurylobus L. Benson; R. hispidus Michx. var. falsus Fern. • CT, MA, RI, VT. Dry-mesic to mesic soils of deciduous forests and woodlands, cliff bases, clearings, fields, and roadsides, commonly found in areas of high-pH bedrock.
Native to North America?
Yes