kidney-leaved buttercup

(Ranunculus abortivus)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Wetland Indicator Status

Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

Midwest

FACW - Facultative wetland

Northcentral & Northeast

FAC - Facultative

 
kidney-leaved buttercup
 
 
Description

 

 

Height

8 to 20

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Similar Species

 
Habitat

Dry to moist. Woods, disturbed sites.

Ecology

Flowering

April to June

 

Pests and Diseases

 

Use

 

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 5/18/2025).

5/18/2025    
     

Nativity

Native

     

Occurrence

Very common

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (green algae and land plants)

Subkingdom

Viridiplantae (green plants)

Infrakingdom

Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)

Superdivision

Embryophyta (land plants)

Division

Tracheophyta (vascular plants)

Subdivision

Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)

Class

Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)

Superorder

Ranunculanae

Order

Ranunculales (buttercups, poppies, and allies)

Family

Ranunculaceae (buttercup)

Subfamily

Ranunculoideae (anemones, buttercups, larkspurs, and allies)

Tribe

Ranunculeae

Genus

Ranunculus (buttercups)

Subgenus

Auricomus

Section

Auricomus

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

Ranunculus abortivus ssp. acrolasius

Ranunculus abortivus var. abortivus

Ranunculus abortivus var. acrolasius

Ranunculus abortivus var. eucyclus

Ranunculus abortivus var. indivisus

Ranunculus abortivus var. typicus

   

Common Names

aborted buttercup

early woodbuttercup

littleleaf buttercup

smallflower buttercup

smallflower crowfoot

small-flowered buttercup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitor Photos
 

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Kirk Nelson

kidney-leaved buttercup   kidney-leaved buttercup
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
kidney-leaved buttercup   kidney-leaved buttercup

Plant

 

Plant

     
kidney-leaved buttercup   kidney-leaved buttercup

Inflorescence

 

Inflorescence

     
kidney-leaved buttercup   kidney-leaved buttercup

Inflorescence

 

Flower

     
kidney-leaved buttercup   kidney-leaved buttercup

Flower

 

Stem leaves

     
kidney-leaved buttercup   kidney-leaved buttercup

Basal leaves

 

Basal leaves

     
kidney-leaved buttercup    

Infructescence

 

 

 

Camera

Slideshows

Ranunculus abortivus SMALL-FLOWERED BUTTERCUP
Frank Mayfield

Ranunculus abortivus SMALL-FLOWERED BUTTERCUP

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos
 

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Other Videos

 

 
 

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

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pal 469
5/17/2025

Location: Leech Lake - Sucker Bay

Kirk Nelson
5/15 and 5/29/2017

Location: Fort Snelling State Park

kidney-leaved buttercup
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Avon Hills Forest SNA, North Unit

Baker Park Reserve

Banning State Park

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Big Stone Lake State Park

Big Woods Heritage Forest WMA

Blue Devil Valley SNA

Boot Lake SNA

Brownsville Bluff SNA

Camden State Park

Cannon River Trout Lily SNA

Cannon River Turtle Preserve SNA

Cannon River Wilderness Area

Carley State Park

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center

Carver Park Reserve

Chamberlain Woods SNA

Charles A. Lindbergh State Park

Chimney Rock SNA

Clear Lake SNA

Cleary Lake Regional Park

Crystal Spring SNA

Edward Velishek Memorial WMA

Falls Creek SNA

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park

Fort Ridgely State Park

Franconia Bluffs SNA

Frontenac State Park

Glacial Lakes State Park

Gneiss Outcrops SNA

Great River Bluffs State Park

Grey Cloud Dunes SNA

Gustafson’s Camp SNA

Hampton Woods WMA

Hastings Sand Coulee SNA

Hastings SNA

Hemlock Ravine SNA

Helen Allison Savanna SNA

John A. Latsch State Park

John Peter Hoffman Spring Brook Valley WMA

Kasota Prairie

Keller Regional Park

King’s and Queen’s Bluff SNA

Laible Woods

Lake Byllesby Regional Park

Lake Maria State Park

Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Lost Valley Prairie SNA

Maplewood State Park

Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA

McCarthy Beach State Park

Miesville Ravine Park Reserve

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Mille Lacs Moraine SNA

Mille Lacs WMA

Minneopa State Park

Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, Lawrence Unit

Mississippi River County Park

Monson Lake State Park

Moose Lake State Park

Mound Prairie SNA

Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo

P.N. and G.M. Nelson Wildlife Sanctuary

Phelps Lake WMA

Prairie Creek Woods SNA

Rice Lake State Park

Ritter Farm Park

River Warren Outcrops SNA

Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve

Rockville County Park

Rushford Sand Barrens SNA

St. Croix Savanna SNA

St. Croix State Park

Sakatah Lake State Park

Savage Fen SNA

Savanna Portage State Park

Seven Mile Creek County Park

Sibley State Park

Spring Creek Prairie SNA

Spring Lake Park Reserve

Stanley Eddy Memorial Park Reserve

Sunfish Lake Park

Swedes Forest SNA

Tamarack Nature Center

Thompson County Park

Townsend Woods SNA

Upper Sioux Agency State Park

Vermillion Highlands Research Recreation and WMA

Vermillion River WMA

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Whitewater State Park

William O’Brien State Park

Wolsfeld Woods SNA

Wood-Rill SNA

Woodland Trails Regional Park

Zumbro Falls Woods SNA

 

 

Binoculars

 

Created: 5/16/2005

Last Updated:

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