Ranunculus hydrocharoides

Frog's-bit buttercup

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1

Frog's-bit buttercup is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native perennial found in the eastern Sierra Nevada in wet ground, shallow water, and creek edges at elevations of 1,200 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white flowers 3 to 5 millimeters long with delicate petals. Growing 5 to 25 centimeters tall with erect to prostrate stems that root at the nodes, it has a flexible growth habit that adapts to wet environments. Its lower leaves are broadly ovate, 0.8 to 2.7 centimeters long, with rounded or heart-shaped bases and entire or slightly toothed margins. The fruit is a small, thick-walled lenticular body with a short, straight or curved beak.

Habitat: Wet ground, shallow water, creek edges, lakes

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1200-2800 m

Bioregions: SNE

California counties: Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Santa Cruz

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.