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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #238136

Title: Ranunculus

Author
item Whittemore, Alan

Submitted to: Jepson Manual of the Higher Plants of California, Ed. 2.
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/30/2009
Publication Date: 1/31/2012
Citation: Whittemore, A.T. 2012. Ranunculus. Jepson Manual of the Higher Plants of California, Ed. 2. pp. 1144-1150.

Interpretive Summary: This contribution will form a section of The Jepson Manual of the higher plants of California, a manual published by the University of California to provide up-to date information on the taxonomy, distribution, and ecological status of all plants that are wild or invasive in California, together with a guide for identification, aimed at professional and sophisticated amateur users. The taxonomy, distribution, and ecological status of all species of Ranunculus that are wild or subject to escape in California is reevaluated, based primarily on a thorough reexamination of available herbarium specimens, and a guide for identification is supplied. Thirty-one species in the genus are included. These are important as wildlife food and as ornamentals. Several species are of concern as weeds, and some native taxa are of conservation concern. This contribution provides up-to-date information on the biology of this group of species, along with identification aids. It will support accurate identification of weedy species, and species of conservation concern. It will be used by professional land managers, educators, conservationists, and sophisticated amateur botanists and horticulturalists, insuring that work on land management and conservation will be based on full, accurate and up-to-date information about the basic biology and relationships of these organisms.

Technical Abstract: The genus Ranunculus is treated for The Jepson Manual of the higher plants of California, a detailed floristic manual for the state published by the University of California. Thirty-one species are recognized; full morphological descriptions, dichotomous keys, and brief summaries of geographical and ecological distribution, economic use, and taxonomic notes are given for each of them. These species are important as wildlife food and as ornamentals, and some species are weedy or of conservation concern. This contribution will support accurate identification of weedy species, and species of conservation concern.