RANUNCULACEAE – BUTTERCUP FAMILY Plant: mostly herbs, some woody vines or shrubs Stem: Root: Leaves: mostly alternate, sometimes opposite or whorled or basal; lobed or not lobed; if lobed then most often palmately, but occasionally pinnately, sometimes finely dissected – highly variable, sometimes even on the same plant; with or without stipules Flowers: mostly perfect, some dioecious; sepals 3-6, commonly 5; petals vary in number (3-23) but often 5, petals may be lacking and sepals are showy; stamens few to many; ovary superior, carpels few to very many, pistils one to many Fruit: mostly a dry capsule, seeds small, may be oily; rarely a berry Other: large family, sometimes confused with members of the Rose family (5 petals); Dicotyledons Group Genera: 60+ genera; locally Actaea (baneberry), Anemone (anemone or windflower), Aquilegia (columbine), Clematis, Isopyrum, Hepatica, Hydrastis, Ranunuculus (buttercup or crowfoot), Thalictrum (meadow-rue) WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive Flower Morphology in the This is a large family often based on 5’s but Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) exceptions occur Examples of common genera White Baneberry [Doll’s-Eyes] Yellow Marsh Marigold [Cowslip] Goldenseal [Yellowroot] Actaea pachypoda Ell. Carolina [Wild Blue] Larkspur Caltha palustris L. var. palustris Delphinium carolinianum Walter Hydrastis canadensis L. Swamp Leather Flower [Eastern] False Rue Anemone Clematis crispa L. Devil-In-The-Bush [Love American Wood Anemone Enemion biternatum Raf. -In-A-Mist] Anemone quinquefolia L. [Isopyrum biternatum] Nigella damascena L. (Introduced) Doubtful [Rocket; Garden] Knight's-Spur [Larkspur] Round-lobed Hepatica [Liverleaf] Tall Buttercup Hepatica nobilis Schreber var. Ranunculus acris L. var. Wild [American, Red] Columbine Consolida ajacis (L.) Schur obtusa (Pursh) Steyermark acris (Introduced) Aquilegia canadensis L. (Introduced) Flower Morphology in the Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Examples of common genera American Globeflower Cursed Buttercup [Crowfoot] Trollius laxus Salisb. ssp. albiflorus Ranunculus sceleratus L. var. (A. Gray) Á. Löve & D. Löve sceleratus & Kapoor ) Early Meadow-Rue Thalictrum dioicum L. RANUNCULACEAE – BUTTERCUP FAMILY Monkshood [Venus‘ Chariot; Wolfsbane]; Aconitum napellus L. (Introduced) White Baneberry [Doll’s-Eyes]; Actaea pachypoda Ell. Black Bugbane [Black Cohosh; Black Snakeroot]; Actaea racemosa L. var. racemosa Red Baneberry; Actaea rubra (Ait.) Willd. Canada [Meadow] Anemone; Anemone canadensis L. Carolina [Prairie] Anemone; Anemone caroliniana Walter Candle Anemone [Long-Headed Thimbleweed]; Anemone cylindrica Gray American Wood Anemone [WindFlower; Nigntcaps]; Anemone quinquefolia L. Tall Thimbleweed [Tall Anemone]; Anemone virginiana L. Wild [Red, American] Columbine; Aquilegia canadensis L. Colorado Blue Columbine; Aquilegia coerulea James European Columbine; Aquilegia vulgaris L. (Introduced) White Marsh Marigold [Elkslip]; Caltha leptosepala DC. Yellow Marsh Marigold [Cowslip]; Caltha palustris L. var. palustris Rock Clematis; Clematis columbiana (Nutt.) Torr. & A. Gray var. tenuiloba (A. Gray) J. Pringle Swamp Leather Flower (Blue Jasmine); Clematis crispa L. Pitcher’s Leatherflower; Clematis pitcheri Torr. & Gray Virgin’s-Bower [Devil's Darning Needles; Old Man’s Beard]; Clematis virginiana L. Doubtful [Rocket; Garden] Knight's-Spur [Larkspur]; Consolida ajacis (L.) Schur (Introduced) Carolina [Wild Blue] Larkspur; Delphinium carolinianum Walter Glade [Trelease’s] Larkspur; Delphinium treleasei Bush ex K.C. Davis Dwarf [Rock] Larkspur; Delphinium tricorne Michx. False Rue Anemone [Isopyrum]; Enemion biternatum Raf. [Isopyrum biternatum] Sharp-lobed Hepatica [Liverleaf]; Hepatica nobilis Schreber var. acuta (Pursh) Steyermark Round-lobed Hepatica [Liverleaf]; Hepatica nobilis Schreber var. obtusa (Pursh) Steyermark Goldenseal [Yellowroot]; Hydrastis canadensis L. Devil-In-The-Bush [Love-In-A-Mist]; Nigella damascena L. (Introduced) RANUNCULACEAE – BUTTERCUP FAMILY Kidney-Leaved [Littleleaf, Aborted, Small-Flowered] Buttercup [Crowfoot]; Ranunculus abortivus L. Tall Buttercup; Ranunculus acris L. var. acris (Introduced) Bulbous Buttercup; Ranunculus bulbosus L. (Introduced) Early Buttercup; Ranunculus fascicularis Muhl. ex Bigelow Fig Buttercup [Lesser celandine]; Ranunculus ficaria L. (Introduced) Yellow Water Buttercup; Ranunculus flabellaris Raf. Harvey's Buttercup; Ranunculus harveyi (A. Gray) Britton Swamp [Bristly, Rough] Buttercup; Ranunculus hispidus Michx. var. caricetorum (Greene) T. Duncan Mississippi Buttercup; Ranunculus laxicaulis (Torr. & A. Gray) Darby Smallflower Buttercup [Stickseed Crowfoot]; Ranunculus parviflorus L. (Introduced) Low Spearwort; Ranunculus pusillus Poir. Hooked Buttercup [Crowfoot]; Ranunculus recurvatus Poir. Var. recurvatus Creeping Buttercup; Ranunculus repens L. (Introduced) Hairy Buttercup; Ranunculus sardous Crantz (Introduced) Cursed Buttercup [Crowfoot]; Ranunculus sceleratus L. var. sceleratus Purple Meadow Rue; Thalictrum dasycarpum Fisch. & Avé-Lall. Early Meadow-Rue; Thalictrum dioicum L. Tall Meadow-Rue [King of the Meadow]; Thalictrum polygamum Pursh Early [Waxy-Leaf; skunk] Meadow-Rue; Thalictrum revolutum Rue Anemone; Thalictrum thalictroides (L.) Eames & B. American Globeflower; Trollius laxus Salisb. ssp. Albiflorus (A. Gray) Á. Löve & D. Löve & Kapoor ) Monkshood [Venus' USDA Chariot; Wolfsbane] Aconitum napellus L. (Introduced) Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Close Memorial Park, Greene County, Missouri Notes: 2-petaled (petals hidden) flower fused into a spur, 5 dark blue sepals, both sepals and petals colored forming terminal racemes; leaves alternate, deeply lobed with 5-7 narrow segments, petiolate, fruits follicles, erect and parallel with beak; summer to fall (Europe and Asia) [V Max Brown, 2020] White Baneberry [Doll’s-Eyes] USDA Actaea pachypoda Ell. Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-10 petaled flower, white, sepals fall early, in spikes; leaves alternate, several leaflets, toothed; fruit a white berry, pedicels thicken and turn bright red in fruit, stigma black; woods; spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2004] Black Bugbane [Black USDA Cohosh; Black Snakeroot] Actaea racemosa L. var. racemosa Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Alley Springs, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Shannon County, Missouri Notes: flowers on long spike, no petals, sepals fall early, mostly stamens left, stigma beaked; leaves divided and coarsely toothed; fruits oblong; often a tall plant, 2-8 ft; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2006] Red Baneberry USDA Actaea rubra (Ait.) Willd. ssp. rubra Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 4-10 petaled flower, white, tip rounded, flower stalk slender (does not thicken in fruit); fruit usually red; leaflets irregularly toothed; woods, wet areas; spring [V Max Brown, 2006] Canada [ Meadow] Anemone USDA Anemone canadensis L. Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-sepaled flower (no petals), long pedicle; lower leaves 3 whorled, deeply lobed, upper paired leaves sessile, deeply cut (beyond middle); late spring to early fall [V Max Brown, 2004] Carolina [Prairie] Anemone USDA Anemone caroliniana Walter Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Wah-Kon-Tah Prairie, St. Clair County, Missouri Notes: 10-12-sepaled flower (no petals), white (usually tinged with blues or sometimes pink) solitary, involucral bracts deeply cut; leaves mostly basal with long petioles, deeply 3-parted to pinnate with leaflets cut or toothed; stem hairy; mostly in prairies and some glades; spring [V Max Brown, 2013] Candle Anemone [Long-Headed USDA Thimbleweed] Anemone cylindrica Gray Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-sepaled flower (no petals), white, outer surface of sepals white wooly; 4-9 crowded stem leaves at base of peduncle, deeply cut or lobed and toothed in upper half, basal leaves with very long petioles; upper stem white wooly pubescent; fruit elongated and cylindrical; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2007] American Wood Anemone USDA [WindFlower; Nightcaps] Anemone quinquefolia L. Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-sepaled flower (no petals), showy white (sometimes pink); leaves with petioles, 3 whorled, each divided into usually 3, sometimes 5 leaflets – almost compound; stem and petiole hairy; woods; spring [V Max Brown, 2004] Tall Thimbleweed [Tall Anemone] USDA Anemone virginiana L. Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-sepaled flower (no petals), greenish to white, long pedicle; fruit more ovoid or ellipsoidal than long; stem leaves at base of peduncle with 3 leaves, with petioles, usually 3 leaflets, cut or divided; summer [V Max Brown, 2004] Wild [American, Red] Columbine USDA Aquilegia canadensis L. Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 5-petaled (with 5 sepals) flower, irregular (spurs tend to be straight), both sepals and petals red to yellowish, many stamens protrude from corolla; leaflets in 3’s; woods, spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2004] White to light pink variant Colorado Blue USDA Columbine Aquilegia coerulea James Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Notes: 5-petaled (with 5 sepals) flower, light blue to white, irregular (spurs mostly straight),