Elliptical Buttercup, Sagebrush Buttercup
Ranunculus
glaberrimus var. ellipticus
Synonyms: Ranunculus ellipticus, Ranunculus glaberrimus var. buddii
Elliptical buttercup blooming along Forest Road 16 several miles north of the junction of Forest Road 1750, Maury Mountains, Ochoco National Forest.......April 27, 2018.
Note the oval to elliptical basal leaf blades lacking the 3 rounded lobes at the tip.
Elliptical buttercup beginning to bloom in open forest around the edges of Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest..............June 3, 2011. Note the oval to elliptical basal leaf blades lacking the 3 rounded lobes at the tip, although lobes on the basal leaves may be present in some individuals. In addition, look at the bracts on the upper stems below the flowers. If the middle lobe is longer than the lateral pair, then the plant is most likely variety ellipticus (See photos below.).
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Additional close-up photos of elliptical buttercup as seen in open forest around the edges of Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest..............June 3, 2011.
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Elliptical buttercup as seen on mossy rock outcrops in forest near the summit ridge of Kamiak Butte, Kamiak Butte County Park, Whitman County, Washington...........April 29, 2013.
Elliptical buttercup as seen in marshlands around the Silver Creek Marsh Campground, Fremont-Winema National Forest.........April 30, 2017.
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Elliptical buttercup as seen at an overlook (down to the north end of Summer Lake) from along Forest Road 2901 (about 2-3 miles uphill from Oregon Highway 31), Fremont-Winema National Forest.........April 30, 2017.
What appears to be elliptical buttercup on scabland soils atop Bickleton Ridge in the Bickleton Ridge Unit of the Klickitat Wildlife Area.........May 7, 2017.
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Elliptical buttercups growing on rocky forested and scree slopes around Antelope Mountain Lookout, Malheur National Forest...........June 4, 2011. Note the long middle lobe on the bracts beneath the flowers and the occasional tri-lobed basal leaf.
Paul Slichter