Ranunculaceae

[MarcR]

Until recently i was led to believe that the entire family had rhizomes.  I was recently informed that some Delphiniums did not.  Could someone knowledgeable elaborate on the subject?

[Martin Bohnet]

Oh, the good old question "when is a rootstock a rhizome". As for Ranunculaceae, you can surely exclude the annuals ( Tribus Nigelleae, Genus Consolida). Several of the true Ranunculus, especially the weedy ones don't go past "fibrous roots", and several species are evergreen with a often huge taproot, e.g. Aquilegia, most Thalictrum and several of the Delphiniums - i'm always unsure if I should include D. semibarbatum in the wiki, I've seen it being called rhizomatous. I have no idea of monkshoods, because a poison permeable through skin is my personal Rubicon I won't cross.

so in short: it is complicated.

[MarcR]

Thank you!

[MarcR]

Oh, the good old question "when is a rootstock a rhizome". As for Ranunculaceae, you can surely exclude the annuals ( Tribus Nigelleae, Genus Consolida). Several of the true Ranunculus, especially the weedy ones don't go past "fibrous roots", and several species are evergreen with a often huge taproot, e.g. Aquilegia, most Thalictrum and several of the Delphiniums - i'm always unsure if I should include D. semibarbatum in the wiki, I've seen it being called rhizomatous. I have no idea of monkshoods, because a poison permeable through skin is my personal Rubicon I won't cross.

so in short: it is complicated.

I often find Aquilegias with the 'taproot' growing laterally instead of vertically, even in deep loose soil.
This caused me to mistake the taproot for a rhizome.