About Ranunculus uncinatus D.Don ex G.Don
Ranunculus uncinatus D.Don ex G.Don is a perennial herb that grows a slender, erect stem reaching a maximum height over half a meter. Most of its leaves emerge on long stalks from the plant's base, with just a few leaves growing along the stem. The lightly hairy basal leaves have blades that are deeply split into three toothed lobes, and these lobes are further divided; these lower leaves are carried on long petioles. Upper stem leaves are smaller, with narrower lobes, and are more deeply divided than the basal leaves. Its flowers have four or five yellow petals, each a few millimeters long, arranged around a central receptacle, and surrounded by many stamens and pistils. Bloom color is yellow, and blooming occurs from April to August. The fruit is an achene produced in a spherical cluster; the plant forms tiny seed clusters with hooked tips on the seeds. This species can be confused with Geum macrophyllum, as the two plants look similar and grow in the same habitats, but close examination of the leaves makes it easy to tell them apart. This plant occurs in a wide range of low to mid-elevation habitats, from valleys up to lower subalpine elevations. It can grow in both non-wetland and wetland areas, including meadows, streamsides, beaches, moist shady woodlands, along trails, and in other disturbed areas. It is found in Redwood Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, and wetland-riparian plant communities, and often grows near streams and other water features.
