Ranunculus aquatilis L. var. diffusus Withering

Locations ofRanunculus aquatilis L. var. diffusus Withering in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Ranunculaceae
Botanical Name
Ranunculus aquatilis L. var. diffusus Withering
Common Name
Long-beaked Buttercup, White Water Crowfoot
Synonym(s)
Ranunculus trichophyllus Chaix; Ranunculus longirostris Godr.
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Ranunculus longirostris Godr.
Comments
This is a very rare aquatic plant in Virginia, known from just four sites in northern Virginia and last collected in 1983. The handful of specimens from these sites have been variously labelled and annotated as Ranunculus aquatilis, R. longirostris, and R. trichophyllus, in some cases with multiple names on a single specimen. In addition, it appears from online images that most of the specimens are vegetative, adding to the uncertainty about their precise identity. Flora of the Southeastern States recognizes Ranunculus longirostris and R. trichophyllus as separate species and attributes both to Virginia, while Whittemore in FNA3 lumps both under a cosmopolitan and "continuously variable" Ranunculus aquatilis var. diffusus. Until we definitively determine the finer-level identities of our plants, following the broad FNA treatment is the best we can do.
Habitat
Submerged in streams (usually flowing) and large, artesian springs. Rare and scattered; known from four counties in the n. mountains, n. Piedmont, and n. Coastal Plain.
Native Status
Native

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