Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Smallflower Buttercup - Ranunculus parviflorus   L.
Members of Ranunculaceae:
Members of Ranunculus with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Ranunculales » Family Ranunculaceae
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AuthorL.
DistributionCoastal Plain, Sandhills, and Piedmont; scarce in the southern Mountains.

Native of Europe; in N.A. in the southeastern states: NJ and MO south to FL and TX.
AbundanceFrequent to locally common, except rare in the southwestern Piedmont and southern Mountains.
HabitatRoadsides, fields, clearings, and other disturbed sites.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting February-July.
IdentificationSmallflower Buttercup is one of our shorter Ranunculus species, seldom reaching 8-9 inches tall. It has tiny flowers (less than 1/6-inch across), 0-5 petals, and reflexed sepals. The flowers occur only in leaf axils, on short stalks. The leaves are 3-5 lobed or divided; the plant is spreading-hairy. Seeds have curved spines. The seeds and the axillary flowers together are unique in NC buttercups.
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State RankSE
Global RankGNR
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