Participant Info

Species

Ranunculus macauleyi

Family

Ranunculaceae

CommonName

Macauley's buttercup

Presence

YES

Status

native

EarliestDate

1930

LatestDate

2022

Ecosystem

subalpine, tundra

Geobotanical

Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos

Counties

Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan

Passes

Grayback, Gunsight, Music, Stony, Stunner, Whiskey, Venable

WildlifePreserves

Other Localities

PhotoRecords

YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, just north of Grayback pass in snow melt and rock fell 5 July 2022

Comments

Macauley's buttercup has often been collected from the tundra of the Watershed San Juans and Cristos. It usually is found at the edge of snow melt, among rock fell—but occasionally in subalpine meadows. Although the brown or blackish hairs on the underside of the sepals is distinctive, the best feature for determination is the undivided leaves with toothed apices and long pedicels. Ranunculus macauleyi is endemic to Colorado and New Mexico, where it follows the Rio Grande drainage only into Santa Fe Co, no farther down stream.

Annotation