Ranunculus pusillus

Ranunculus pusillus, commonly called low spearwort,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It is native to much of the eastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Texas; it is also known in California.[2] It grows in wet habitat, where it is semi-aquatic growing partially submerged or terrestrially on muddy substrates.

Ranunculus pusillus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Ranunculus
Species:
R. pusillus
Binomial name
Ranunculus pusillus
Synonyms

Ranunculus lindheimeri
Ranunculus oblongifolius
Ranunculus tener

It is a perennial herb producing a slender decumbent to erect stem up to half a meter in length. It is generally hairless in texture. Leaves have blades which are lance-shaped to oval and borne on short petioles. The flower has one to three tiny yellow petals no more than 2 millimeters long around a central receptacle with many stamens and pistils. Flowers are produced in the spring.[3] The fruit is an achene borne in a spherical cluster of 18 or more.

  • Ranunculus pusillus, showing emergent growth habit
    Ranunculus pusillus, showing emergent growth habit

References
  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Ranunculus pusillus". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  2. "Ranunculus pusillus". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
  3. Ranunculus pusillus Flora of North America


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