Ranunculus sceleratus

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:RANUNCULACEAE
Species:Ranunculus sceleratus L.
Common Name:Cursed Buttercup; Cursed Crowfoot; Celery Leaf Buttercup
Habitat:**
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Annual
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:RASC3
Plant Notes:Cursed Buttercup is an annual in the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It is unknown if it is native to eastern North America of if it was introduced from Europe. In Alabama it has been found statewide. It occurs in shallow water or on mud along streams and ponds, and in low fields and pastures. Cursed Buttercup is an annual from a large mass of cord-like roots. Stems are erect, hollow, green, and glabrous. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves are long petiolate and often float on the surface of the water. Leaves are reniform to semicircular in outline and three lobed. The lobes may be divided again and have crenate or crenate-lobed margins. The stem leaves are alternate and smaller in size. The upper-most leaves are often sessile and unlobed. Flowers are produced at the apex of the stems. The receptacles may be glabrous or pubescent. There are five shiny yellow petals and 3-5 reflexed sepals. The fruit is an achene, which are in cylindrical heads. The beak of the achene is straight. Cursed Buttercup is a serious weed in low fields and pastures. The foliage of Cursed Crowfoot is toxic if eaten, and the sap can cause rashes and blisters on the skin.--A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native, OBL (NWI)
References:**

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyRANUNCULACEAE - Buttercup/Crowfoot family
Genus Ranunculus
Species Ranunculus sceleratus L. - Cursed Buttercup; Cursed Crowfoot; Celery Leaf Buttercup

Citation

Citation Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 551. 1753.
Basionym: **
Type: Without data, Herb. Clifford 230(Ranunculus 12) (lectotype: BM). Lectotypified by L. D. Benson, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 52: 361. 1954.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Hecatonia scelerata Hecatonia scelerata (Linnaeus) Fourreau, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, ser. 2. 16: 325. 1868.Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus 1753. 
Ranunculus eremogenes Ranunculus eremogenes Greene, Erythea 4: 121. 1896.Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, var. multifidus Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray 1838. 
Ranunculus eremogenes var. degener Ranunculus eremogenes Greene, var. degener Greene, Pittonia 4: 144. 1900. COLORADO: Archuleta Co.: Near Pagosa Springs, 1899, Baker s.n. (lectotype: NDG). Lectotypified by L. D. Benson, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 313. 1942.
Ranunculus eremogenes var. longissimus Ranunculus eremogenes Greene, var. longissimus Lunell, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 1: 206. 1910. NORTH DAKOTA: Benson Co.: Leeds, 27 Jun 1909, Lunell s.n. (holotype: MIN).
Ranunculus eremogenes var. pilosulus Ranunculus eremogenes Greene, var. pilosulus Greene, Pl. Baker. 3: 2. 1901. COLORADO: Above Gunnison, 17 Jul, Baker 454 (holotype: NDG).
Ranunculus eremogenes var. pubescens Ranunculus eremogenes Greene, var. pubescens Lunell, Bull. Leeds Herb. 2: 6. 1908. NORTH DAKOTA: Benson Co.: Leeds, s.d., Lunell s.n. (holotype: MIN?).
Ranunculus sceleratus subsp. multifidus Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, subsp. multifidus (Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) Hultén, Acta Univ. Lund 40(1): 768. 1944.Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, var. multifidus Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray 1838. 
Ranunculus sceleratus subsp. typicus Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, subsp. typicus A. Löve & D. Löve, Univ. Inst. Appl. Sci. Iceland, Dept. Agric. Rep., ser. B. 3: 109. 1948, nom. inadmiss.Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus 1753. 
Ranunculus sceleratus var. eremogenes Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, var. eremogenes (Greene) Garrett, Spring Fl. Wasatch 25. 1911, nom. illegit.Ranunculus eremogenes Greene 1896; Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, var. multifidus Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray 1838. 
Ranunculus sceleratus var. longissimus Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, var. longissimus (Lunell) L. D. Benson, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 69: 313. 1942.Ranunculus eremogenes Greene, var. longissimus Lunell 1910. 
Ranunculus sceleratus var. multifidus Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, var. multifidus Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 19. 1838. NEBRASKA(?): Platte River, s.d., Nuttall s.n. (holotype: NY; isotype: GH).
Ranunculus sceleratus var. typicus Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus, var. typicus L. D. Benson, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 40: 203. 1948, nom. inadmiss.Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus 1753.  

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Butler, Limestone, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Talladega, Tuscaloosa

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AUA, SAMF, TROY, UNA, USAM, UWAL, UWFP

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1965 - 1981

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.		 Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used		 Image
UWAL0016814 Mobile 10 Mar 2013 Horne, Howard E.
1998		 UWAL
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
UNA00030756 Mobile 08 Apr 1966 Deramus, Rebecca
D869		 UNA
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
UNA00048636 Tuscaloosa 04 Apr 1981 Horn, Charles N.
201		 UNA
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
UNA00030761 Mobile 22 May _ Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
UWAL0009853 Limestone 28 Mar 2012 Keener, Brian R.
7052		 UWAL
Ranunculus sceleratus L
UNA00048639 Tuscaloosa 04 Apr 1981 Horn, Charles N.
201		 UNA
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
TROY000043905 Montgomery 17 Mar 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27258		 TROY
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
UNA00030741 Mobile 06 Mar 1965 Deramus, Rebecca
D280		 UNA
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
TROY000044013 Limestone 25 Apr 2015 England, J. Kevin
5415		 TROY
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
UNA00030736 Mobile _ May 1878 Mohr, Charles
s.n.		 UNA
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
SAMF0001511 Marshall 14 Apr 2010 Davenport, Lawrence J.
4200		 SAMF
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
ALNHS00000732 Mobile 04 Apr 2010 Barger, T. Wayne
SP#263		 ALNHS
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
UWFP015545 Baldwin 14 Mar 1993 James R. Burkhalter
13642		 UWFP
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
USAM000013417 Baldwin 01 Apr 1980 Lott, Bob
15		 USAM
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
TROY000046412 Butler 07 Apr 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28160		 TROY
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
UWAL0054281 Mobile 27 Mar 2021 Keener, Brian R.
12138		 UWAL
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
UWAL0032963 Montgomery 17 Mar 2016 Diamond, Alvin R.
27258		 UWAL
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
SAMF0001489 Limestone 28 Mar 2012 Keener, Brian R.
7052		 SAMF
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
UWAL0018141 Limestone 25 Apr 2015 England, J. Kevin
5415		 UWAL
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
UWAL0045844 Talladega 24 Mar 2018 Spaulding, Daniel D.
15147		 UWAL
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
UWAL0039828 Butler 07 Apr 2018 Diamond, Alvin R.
28160		 UWAL
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
TROY000036198 Limestone 28 Mar 2012 Keener, Brian R.
7052		 TROY
Ranunculus sceleratus Linnaeus
AUA_ACC_43175 Limestone 25 Apr 2015 England, J. Kevin
5415		 AUA
Ranunculus Sceleratus L.
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