Ranunculus testiculatus
Tubercled crowfoot
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Ranunculus testiculatus (Tubercled crowfoot) is a non-native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family, recognized by tiny size, finely dissected leaves, and long-beaked fruits.
Tubercled crowfoot is a naturalized annual found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, Tehachapi, San Bernardino Mountains, Great Basin, and Desert Mountains in disturbed grassland areas at elevations of 1,000 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces small pale yellow flowers approximately 3 to 5 millimeters wide with five delicate petals. Growing with erect or ascending stems 1 to 6 centimeters tall, it forms a compact, low-growing habit. Its basal leaves are widely spoon-shaped, intricately dissected into fine linear segments with entire margins, typically 0.9 to 3.8 centimeters long. The fruit is an ellipsoid body with a persistent lanceolate beak 3.5 to 4.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 41 sympatric species; key features are tiny size, finely dissected leaves, and long-beaked fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, especially in grassland
Elevation: 1000-2300 m
California counties: San Bernardino, San Diego, Siskiyou, Modoc, Mono, Inyo, Sacramento, Kern, Ventura, Riverside, Lassen, Merced, Nevada, Tehama, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, Plumas, Humboldt, Monterey, Los Angeles
Outside California: to Ohio, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Ranunculus testiculatus blooms Apr-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Lasthenia: Ranunculus has separate petals around a central disk; Lasthenia has many tiny ray flowers around a disk (composite head).; vs Bowlesia: Ranunculus has glossy yellow petals in conspicuous flowers; Bowlesia has tiny white flowers in umbels with divided leaves.; vs Potentilla: Ranunculus has nectaries at petal bases and many pistils; Potentilla has no nectaries and styles attached to ovary sides.; vs Papaver: Ranunculus has 5 petals and many pistils; Papaver has 4 crinkled petals and a single large stigma disk.; vs Oxalis: Ranunculus has glossy separate petals; Oxalis has clover-like leaves and tubular flowers that close at night.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ranunculus testiculatus native to California?
No. Ranunculus testiculatus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Ranunculus testiculatus bloom?
Ranunculus testiculatus blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Ranunculus testiculatus grow?
Ranunculus testiculatus occurs in San Bernardino, San Diego, Siskiyou, Modoc, Mono, Inyo, Sacramento, Kern and other counties, at elevations of 1000-2300 m.
What plant family does Ranunculus testiculatus belong to?
Ranunculus testiculatus is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Ranunculus.
What habitat does Ranunculus testiculatus grow in?
Ranunculus testiculatus grows in Disturbed areas, especially in grassland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Ranunculus trilobus — Threelobe buttercup
- Ranunculus uncinatus — Hook seeded buttercup
- Ranunculus acris — Acrid buttercup
- Ranunculus alismifolius — Alisma leaved buttercup
- Ranunculus alismifolius var. alismellus — Plantainleaf buttercup
- Ranunculus alismifolius var. alismifolius — Plantainleaf buttercup
- Thalictrum alpinum — Arctic meadow-rue
- Thalictrum fendleri — Fendler's meadow rue
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.