| Ranunculus gmelinii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Ranunculus |
| Species: | R. gmelinii |
| Binomial name | |
| Ranunculus gmelinii | |
| Synonyms | |
Ranunculus limosusNutt. | |
Ranunculus gmelinii, Gmelin's buttercup [1] or small yellow water-crowfoot, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs across Canada and the northern and higher-elevation regions of the United States. [2] [3] It is also present in Eurasia. [3]
This species is a perennial herb growing prostrate stems on moist ground or floating stems in shallow water. It is hairy to hairless. The leaf blades are round or kidney-shaped and are divided into three parts that may be subdivided. The yellow petals are 4 to 14 millimeters long. Ranunculus gmelinii occurs in wetland habitats and on shorelines. [3]
The plant is not a threatened species, [2] but it becomes rare in the habitat on the edges of its range; it is protected as a threatened plant in the state of Maine, and var. hookeri is a state-listed endangered plant in Wisconsin. [4] It is listed as an endangered species in Newfoundland and Labrador. [5]
This species was named in honor of Johann Georg Gmelin (1709-1755). [6]