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SMALL-FLOWERED BUTTERCUP 



Ranunculus abortivus L. 



April - May In iis iiu'inhcis. tlu' crowfoot family is many and 



Lowlands, woods \;iiii(l. They rauiic t'roiii the littli' ^rwn mouso- 



lail to the aiu'moiu's. meadow riu's, lu'paticas, 

 iiiarsli iiiari,u()lds. inliiiiiliiiics. delphiniums, and huttercups, as well as 

 u luimbor of otiieis. There is little obvious similarity in the ilowers ; one 

 wonders how the systematic i)otanists contrived to <:i-oup all of these 

 ])lants in the all-inclusive group of the Kanunculaceae, the CriAvfoot 

 family. It is believed to be the most ])rimitive <iroup of the llowering 

 l)lants. 



The genus "Ranunculus was named for l^ma, the frog, because of 

 the affinity of certain members to grow in wi't i)laces. The buttercups 

 themselves are an ornamental lot, but there are some other crowfoots 

 which are quite baking in individual charm. Aside from their interest as 

 jilants with their own unitpie characteristics and manner ol' growth, one 

 tind- little to admire in the small-lloweretl butti'rcu|). 



There they ;iic. the le--er ones, the |)oor relation> in a tribe note- 

 worthy for its beaiitilul blossom.-. The small-IIow(Mvd buttercup usually 

 lias a rosette of leaves whiili live above ground through the wintei'. They 

 are broadly oval and scalloped, shiny, and bright green; on a winter day 

 they look very nnich like too-early violet leaves. But by early April the 

 tuft of leaves has s<Mit uj) a stout. Juicy .-talk bearing leaves along it and 

 branches on which ari> snuill. bras.<y-yellow ilowers. They are about a 

 fourth-inch wide. star-sha|)ed. with a b;dl-like center which later becomes 

 seeds. 



