Taxonomy of Flowering Plants - LECTURE NOTES - Spring, 1998
Hugh D. Wilson - rm. 306, Butler Hall
11 February 1998
The Magnoliidae
Family Overview - The Ranunculales

Ranunculaceae - the Buttercup Family

Diversity:  50 genera and about 1900 species, mostly herbaceous, with Ranunculus (buttercup) the largest (400 species)

Distribution:  Temperate northern hemisphere with diversity in eastern Asia and North America - 10 genera with 52 species in Texas.

Floral structure:

calyx and corolla usually differentiated

Significant features:  herbaceous, apocarpous herbs with sheathing petioles and leaf blades often palmately veined and lobed.  Derived elements of the family include Delphinium (Larkspur) and Aquilegia (columbine), both with perianth specializations, and Thalictrum (anemophily).

Ranunculus sardous - flower at anthesis

Ranunculus sardous - flower past anthesis with carpels maturing

Ranunculus sardous - flower well past anthesis with carpels maturing to form an aggregate of achenes
 
 
 

  Aquilegia canadensis flower at anthesis with spurred petals
 
 
 
 

  Aquilegia flower past anthesis with apocarpous gynoecium maturing to form an aggregate of follicles

  Thalictrum - a dioecious species - staminate plant
 

  Thalictrum - pistillate plant with each flower mature (aggregate of achenes)

More information on the Ranunculaceae

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