Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Cursed Buttercup from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-13-013:
Ranunculus sceleratus FAMILY Ranunculaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Ranunculus sceleratus
COMMON NAME:
Cursed Buttercup, Celery-leaf Crowfoot, Cursed Crowfoot
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_r_sceleratus_sce_5175
May Currituck County NC
All of the leaves are deeply lobed or divided, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_r_sceleratus_sce_5181
May Currituck County NC
A smooth succulent plant of wet habitats with 1/4" flowers, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_r_sceleratus_sce_5221
May Currituck County NC
Achenes smooth, turgid, corky-thickened at bases for dispersal by floating, per Weakley's Flora.
COMPARE
fruits that are an aggregate of achenes
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Ranunculus sceleratus var. sceleratus
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-13-013:
Ranunculus sceleratus
FAMILY
Ranunculaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Ranunculus sceleratus
3220
Forb
Annual/Short-lived perennial
Habitat: marshes, ditches, and stream margins, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in Carolina Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Basal leaves mostly deeply parted or compound; stem leaves less so, or simple
Basal & alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Yellow
Radially symmetrical
3-5 sepals
5 petals (usually)
Numerous stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall?
Yellowish
Aggregate of achenes
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p263
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p048
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".