Ranunculus sect. Halodes

(A. Gray) L. D. Benson

Amer. J. Bot. 27: 805. 1940.

Basionym: Undefined sect. Ranunculus Halodes A. Gray Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 21: 366. 1886
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Plants glabrous or sparsely hirsute. Stems dimorphic, with erect flowering stems and prostrate stolons, not bulbous-based, without bulbils. Roots basal and nodal, never tuberous. Leaves basal and cauline; basal, proximal cauline, and stolon leaves similar, petiolate, base broadly rounded to truncate, margins crenate or crenate-serrate; distal cauline leaves much reduced, scalelike, simple and undivided. Inflorescences 1-5-flowered cymes. Flowers pedicellate; sepals deciduous soon after anthesis, 5; petals 5, yellow; nectary scale attached basally, forming flap over nectary, glabrous, free margin entire; style present. Fruits achenes, 1-locular; achene body discoid to flattened-lenticular, oblong to obovate in outline, 2-4 times as wide as thick, not prolonged beyond seed; achene wall papery, not loose, longitudinally ribbed, glabrous; margin prominent narrow ridge; beak much shorter than achene body.

Distribution

North America, Mexico, South America, Eurasia.

Discussion

Species ca. 10 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

None.