Angiosperms: Dicotyledons

Ranunculaceae
Buttercup Family

• Stem: perennial; 6” to 10” tall; often with several stems from the same root crown; smooth.
• Leaves: basal; pinnately compound, 1 1/2” by 1 1/2”; leaf stalks 2” to 3” long, hairy; leaflets deeply lobed into two or three segments; first leaves may be undivided with heart-shaped bases; long-hairy above and below.
• Inflorescence: one or two flowers per flower stalk; stalks hairy, sometimes with a small leaf.
• Flowers: petals yellow, 1/2” long, curving upward; many stamens and pistils; sepals oval, 3/16” long; flowering from late April to mid-May.
• Fruits: one-seeded, flat, circular, 1/16” long, with a curved point at one end; the numerous fruits of each flower forming a ball 1/4” in diameter; fruiting begins in early May.
• Habitat: infrequent, mostly on dry, rocky, or sandy prairies; also on mesic prairies and sometimes in open woods.
• Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Vascular Plants of Iowa