Ranunculus aestivalis

Description

This plant produces a hairy, erect stem 30 to 60 centimeters tall. The leaves are divided into three dissected parts, or sometimes three leaflets. Each plant produces about 6 to 10 flowers. The flower has five, or occasionally ten yellow petals each around a centimeter long. Blooming occurs in July through October, giving the plant its common name. The specific epithet, aestivalis, comes from Latin and means "pertaining to the summer".

Distribution and habitat

This wildflower grows in wet riparian meadows on the western slope of the Sevier River Valley of Utah. The meadows are fed by springs, keeping them marshy. The plants grow on slightly raised mounds in the boggy meadows and adjacent drier habitat. Other plants in the habitat include Achillea millefolium, Juncus articus var. balticus, Carex nebrascensis, Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. spathulatum, Plantago eriopoda, Lysimachia maritima, Carex aquatilis, Hordeum jubatum, and Trifolium, Dodecatheon, and Eleocharis species. Mosses grow among the plants as well.

Threats to the plant include changes in the local hydrology, because the plant relies on a certain level of moisture in its microhabitat. Irrigation may be a cause of these changes. Grazing may also affect the plant. Grazing may have positive effects at times, as livestock trims down competing vegetation, such as sedges. A genetic bottleneck may result from the small numbers of remaining plants.

Taxonomy

This plant was feared extinct in the 1970s and was rediscovered in 1982. The Nature Conservancy purchased the land holding the buttercups and made it a nature preserve. The plant was propagated in tissue culture. The Conservancy and other agencies have planted some autumn buttercup plants in the Conservancy's preserve near Panguitch, Utah to augment the small population.

References

References

1. {{PLANTS
2. link. (2011-10-26 Center for Plant Conservation.)
3. (August 2025)
4. [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501102 ''Ranunculus acriformis'' var. ''aestivalis''.] Flora of North America.
5. Van Buren, R., et al. (1994). [https://www.jstor.org/pss/2445501 Evaluating the relationship of autumn buttercup (''Ranunculus acriformis'' var. ''aestivalis'') to some close congeners using random amplified polymorphic DNA.] ''Am J Bot'' 81(4) 514-19.
6. Eggli, Urs. (2004). "Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names". Springer.
7. link. (2016-11-18 Utah DNR.)
8. Whitney, S. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121023145422/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695213728/A-bloomin-project--Can-the-endangered-autumn-buttercup-be-saved.html A bloomin' project – Can the endangered autumn buttercup be saved?] ''[[Deseret News]]'' September 28, 2007.
9. [http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/autumn-buttercup-preserve.xml Autumn Buttercup Preserve.] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-10-04 The Nature Conservancy.)