Species of flowering plant
Ranunculus gmelinii, Gmelin's buttercup[1] or small yellow water-crowfoot,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs across Canada and the northern and higher-elevation regions of the United States.[2][3] It is also present in Eurasia.[3]
This species is a perennial herb growing prostrate stems on moist ground or floating stems in shallow water. It is hairy to hairless. The leaf blades are round or kidney-shaped and are divided into three parts that may be subdivided. The yellow petals are 4 to 14 millimeters long. Ranunculus gmelinii occurs in wetland habitats and on shorelines.[3]
The plant is not a threatened species,[2] but it becomes rare in the habitat on the edges of its range; it is protected as a threatened plant in the state of Maine, and var. hookeri is a state-listed endangered plant in Wisconsin.[4] It is listed as an endangered species in Newfoundland and Labrador.[5]
This species was named in honor of Johann Georg Gmelin (1709-1755).[6]
References
