RANUNCULACEAE

Buttercup Family
Page 124, Hitchcock & Cronquist
Approximately 40 genera and 1500 species mainly found in cool, north temperate regions.
Mostly perennial herbs, some annual herbs or occasionally soft-woody shrubs or climbers (e.g. Clematis).
Leaves: -mostly alternate or basal (opposite in Clematis), -typically compound and exstipulate (lacking
stipules).
Flowers: -solitary (rarely) or in racemes or panicles
-hypogynous
-usually perfect (imperfect in Thalictrum)
-sepals: 3 to many, sometimes highly modified and petaloid
-petals: none to indefinite, often with a nectiferous claw, sometimes less showy than sepals
-stamens: numerous, spirally arranged on receptacle
-pistil: simple, usually numerous and spirally arranged and forming achenes, or sometimes
few in number, cyclic and forming follicles or berries
Fruit: -achenes, follicles, berries
Some species with regular flowers are easily confused with some members of Rosaceae. In the
Ranunculaceae, the flower parts are attached at a small area at the tip of the stem. Flowers of Rosaceae
have a hypanthium, so that when the flowers are observed from beneath, the flower parts appear to be
attached to a broad disk-like base.
Ranunuculus (buttercup), Delphinium (larkspur), Aquilegia (columbine), Anemone (anemone or
pasqueflower), Helleborus (hellebore, Christmas rose), Aconitum (monkshood).