PlantWatch

Buttercup, sagebrush (Ranunculus glaberrimus)

Photo by Ron Long

French name: renoncule
Bloom time: April to May
Report for: BC

General: This very small wildflower (max. 15 cm tall) appears shortly after snowmelt in B.C. grassland areas.

Leaves & Twigs: Sagebrush buttercup mainly produces low, basal leaves that often show shallow notches near the leaf tip.

Flowers & Fruit: In early spring, this plant makes an intense show of shiny yellow flowers. Dense fruit clusters (7–12 mm across) contain up to 150 tiny seeds. Each seed has a hairy texture and a slightly curved hook, which can latch onto fur or clothing to carry the seeds to a new location. Check your socks!

Habitat:Sagebrush buttercup occurs throughout B.C.’s arid grassland regions. It is often found growing with big sagebrush plants, ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir trees.

Sampling: Select a typical patch of plants, if the plants are very abundant, mark off a 1-metre-square section to observe.

To Observe:

• First bloom: when the first flowers are open in the observed plants.
• Mid bloom: when 50% of the flowers are open in the observed plants.