Minnesota Wildflowers


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Hooked Buttercup

Plant Info
Also known as: Blisterwort, Hooked Crowfoot
Scientific name:Ranunculus recurvatus
Family:Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:part sun; moist woods, along streams
Bloom season:spring to early summer
Plant height:1 to 2 feet

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Detailed Information

Flower: regular shape
[photo of flowers] Flowers are from ¼ to ½ inch across, 5 narrow pale yellow petals with about 20 yellow-tipped stamen surrounding a bright green center. There are 5 yellowish-green sepals behind the flower head; the sepals are about as long as the petals, or longer. Flowers are at the end of stems that arise from a leaf axil. One plant has a few to several flowers.
Leaves and stem: alternate attachment lobed type
[photo of leaves] Leaves are up to 4 inches long and 3 inches wide, lobed or deeply divided into 3 or 5 parts, with long leaf stems that become shorter as leaves ascend the stem. The lobes are coarsely toothed toward the tip end. The main stem and leaf stems are both hairy, and the leaves may also have scattered hairs on the surfaces, and fine hairs along the edges.
Fruit:
The green flower center grows into a round cluster of 1-seeded fruits, each with a hook at the top, and is where the common name originates.

More photos

More yellow wildflowers. Photos taken at Wild River State Park, Center City, MN May 2007

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about controlling invasive species, are plants edible, where to buy seed or other gardening questions. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much



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