Basal leaves
Basal leaves and proximal leaves petiolate, palmately 3-lobed or 3-parted, reniform or semicircular in outline, 1-5 x 1.5-7 cm, the segments usually lobed; margins crenate or lobate, bases cordate to truncate, apices round to obtuse
Cauline leaves
Cauline leaves usually reduced distally, petioles reduced in length, blades more deeply lobed and segments narrower
Ecology
Borders of lakes, streams, watercourses, and marshy fields.
Family
RANUNCULACEAE Jussieu (Crowfoot Family or Buttercup Family)
Flowering period
March-June
Flowers
Receptacle glabrous or pubescent; sepals 3-5, reflexed from or near base, 2-5 × 1-3 mm, glabrous or sparsely hirsute; petals 3-5, 2-5 × 1-3 mm; nectary on petal surface, scale poorly developed and forming crescent-shaped or circular ridge surrounding but not covering nectary; style absent.
Fruit
Heads of achenes ellipsoid or cylindric heads, 5-13 × 3-7 mm; achenes 1-1.2 × 0.8-1 mm, glabrous; beak deltate, usually straight, 0.1 mm.
Habit and stem features
Stems erect, glabrous, rooting at base, only very rarely rooting at proximal nodes.
Place of Species Publication
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 1: 551. 1753.
References
Correll, D.S. and M.C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the Vascular Plants of
IPNI. 2004. The International Plant Names Index. http://www.ipni.org/index.html.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland, Second edition, Volume I-checklist.
Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the
Thomas, R. D. and C. M. Allen. 1998. Atlas of the Vascular Flora of Louisiana. Vol. 3. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Natural Heritage Program.
USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database. http://www.plants.usda.gov.
Whittemore, Alan T. and Bruce D. Parfitt. 1997. Ranunculaceae in vol.3. Flora of North America Committee, eds. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 1993+, 7+ vols. New York and Oxford.
Synonyms
Hecatonia scelerata(L.) Fourr.
Ranunculus sceleratus var. typicus L. Benson