Ranunculus recurvatus var. adpressipilis Weatherby

Stems erect, never rooting nodally, hirsute, base bulbous, cormlike. Roots never tuberous. Basal leaf blades broadly cordate in outline, 3-cleft or -parted, 2-7.5 × 3-11.6 cm, segments undivided or shallowly 1-2-cleft, ultimate segments rhombic, margins crenate-toothed, apex acute or obtuse. Flowers: receptacle hispid; sepals reflexed from near base, 3-6 × 1.5-2.5 mm, pilose; petals 5, yellow, 3-5 × 1-2 mm. Heads of achenes globose, 5-6 mm wide; achenes 1.6-2.2 × 1.4-1.8 mm, glabrous, margin forming narrow rib 0.1-0.2 mm wide; beak persistent, lanceolate, curved, hooked, 1-1.4 mm. 2 n = 32.

Flowering spring (Apr-Jun). Mesic woods, stream banks, and swamps; 0-1200 m; N.B., Nfld., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que.; Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

The Cherokee used Ranunculus recurvatus var. recurvatus as a sedative, a dermatological aid, and an oral aid; the Iroquois, as a laxative, a venereal aid, and a toothache remedy (D. E. Moerman 1986).