Kingdom Plantae Family Ranunculaceae Rank Species | Order Ranunculales Genus Caltha | |
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Similar Caltha leptosepala, Ranunculus gmelinii, Caltha palustris var barthei, Caltha, Marsh Marigold | ||
Caltha natans is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family.
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Description
Unlike other species of Caltha that are found in North America, C. natans shows relatively little morphological variation, and has not been divided into infraspecific taxa. The plants typically grow in shallow water, with floating leaves up to 25 millimetres (0.98 in) wide and 50 mm (2.0 in) long, on a petiole (leaf stalk) up to 70 mm (2.8 in) long. The flowers are roughly 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter and have five white sepals; they are produced in late spring (June–August). Each flower forms 20–55 follicles, which contain black, elliptic seeds 0.5–0.8 mm (0.020–0.031 in) in diameter.
Distribution
Caltha natans has an amphi-Beringian distribution, being found in both North America and East Asia. In Asia, it is found in Siberia, Mongolia and the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang and Nei Mongol. In North America, it is found in Alaska, the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, North West Territories, Yukon, Saskatchewan Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, and in a small part of the contiguous United States (in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin).