Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_2977.JPG-07-22-2024
Flower name (scientific): Ranunculus pensylvanicus Linnaeus f. PY: 1782. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ra-NUN-ku-lus pen-sill-VAN-ee-ka
Flower name (common): Pennsylvania Buttercup
Family name (common): Buttercup
Family name (scientific): Ranunculaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Latin for little frog. Referencing the moist habitat where many species grow.
    Specific epithet: Of or from Pennsylvania.
Common name origin: The type used by Linnaeus had its habitat in Pennsylvania, and from the yellow cup-shaped flowers.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.3 inches (3 to 8 mm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: yellow
     Other: flower arrangement, Solitary
Plant description:
     Size: 8 to 36 inches (20 to 91 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is compound and lobed
     Size:
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, basal broadly cordate in outline, 3-foliolate (FNA)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): July to August
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual/Perennial
Habitat: Stream banks, pond margins, marshes, bogs, wet fields, wet meadows, sun or semi-shade, wet.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Some factors that can help separate Ranunculus pensylvanicus from other buttercups are (1) the small flower size (less than 7 mm), (2) the habitat (wet conditions), (3) the bloom season (mid summer to early fall), (4) the appearance of the seed head (about 9 to 12 mm long with individual seeds having a small beak less than 1 mm long), and (5) the 3-foliolate leaves with leaflets usually deeply cleft. Ranunculus macounii has some similarity, but has a flower size about twice as large, and has not been reported from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and more southern US states, though prsent in Minnestoa and Michigan.
Ethnobotany: The Ojibwe employ the seeds of this plant as a hunting medicine. The seeds are smoked as an aid for hunting. They also utilized the plant to obtain a red dye (Smith, pp. 383, 426, 431, 1932).
Latitude: 44.794637
Longitude: -91.495598
Altitude: 239.60
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): OBL
Wetland Status (MW): OBL