Ranunculus acaulis

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Ranunculus acaulis
Flora Antarctica Plate II.jpg
Dune buttercup (Ranunculus acaulis)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Ranunculus
Species:
R. acaulis
Binomial name
Ranunculus acaulis
Banks & Sol. ex. DC.
Synonyms
  • R. litoralis [1]
  • R. petriei
  • R. rivularis var. glareosus
  • R. stenopetalus [2]

Ranunculus acaulis, in Australia and New Zealand called dune buttercup, sand buttercup or shore buttercup, is a yellow-flowered, small, fleshy herb, that grows in mats in damp places mostly near the sea. It occurs naturally in Australia, New Zealand, Chile and the Falklands. It flowers between August and April and sets seed from September till July. [2] [3]

Contents

Description

Ranunculus acaulis by Peter de Lange.jpg

The dune buttercup is a small and hairless perennial herb that grows in matted patches, that are the result of numerous plants that develop at the nodes of long slender aerial shoots. The leaves form a rosette, are 12–45 mm long and have a stalk, are thick and shiny and have many very small light dots. The blades are three-lobed. The middle leaflet is entire or has three blunt teeth, and the lateral leaflets are entire with a blunt tip or have one blunt tooth at the basal margin. Flowers are 7–10 mm in diameter and are solitary on stems that are as long as the leaves. The three to five about 1½-2½ mm long sepals are pale greenish or yellowish. The five to eight narrow yellow petals are about 5 mm long. At 1½-2 mm from the base is a single pocket-like nectary. The ten to twenty yellow stamens occupy about two circles around the raised green receptacle that carries six to twelve yellow carpels. The one-seeded dry fruits (or achenes) become beige when ripe, and are ovate, not flattened, with a somewhat curved, up to 1 mm long beak. R. acaulis has ninety six chromosomes (2n = 96). [3] [4] [5] [6]

Etymology

The generic name Ranunculus is the diminutive of the Latin rana frog (little frog) and probably refers to the wet location where some buttercup species live together with frogs. The species epithet acaulis is derived from the Greek "a"-, without and "kaulos", stalk or stem, because the flower is on such a short stem that it seems absent. [3]

Distribution

The dune buttercup is an indigenous species in New Zealand, where it occurs on both main islands, Stewart Island, Chatham and Auckland Islands, in Australia on the West- and South-coast of Tasmania, in Chile in the provinces of Los Rios, Los Lagos, Aisen, and Magallanes, and on the Falkland Islands. [3] [7] [8]

Taxonomy

According to genetic analysis, R. acaulis may be paraphyletic, with a specimen from Steward Island being most related to R. papulentus , while a specimen from Chile is in a group with R. crassipes and R. biternatus . The specimen from Chili is considerably larger and its leaves are thinner and more dentate. The type specimen was from New Zealand and would retain its name. [6]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Ranunculus repens</i> Species of plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Ranunculus repens, the creeping buttercup, is a flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe, Asia and northwestern Africa. It is also called creeping crowfoot and sitfast.

<i>Ranunculus bulbosus</i> species of plant

Ranunculus bulbosus, commonly known as St. Anthony's turnip or bulbous buttercup, is a perennial member of the buttercup family. It has attractive yellow flowers, and deeply divided, three-lobed long-petioled basal leaves. Bulbous buttercup is known to form tufts.

<i>Ranunculus acris</i> species of plant

Ranunculus acris is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, and is one of the more common buttercups across Europe and temperate Eurasia. Common names include meadow buttercup, tall buttercup, common buttercup and giant buttercup.

<i>Ranunculus sceleratus</i> species of plant

Ranunculus sceleratus known by the common names celery-leaved buttercup, celery-leaf buttercup, and cursed buttercup is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has a circumpolar distribution in the northern hemisphere, native to temperate and boreal North America and Eurasia, where it grows in wet and moist habitats, including ponds and streambanks.

<i>Senecio angulatus</i> species of plant

Senecio angulatus also known as creeping groundsel and sometimes as Cape ivy is a climbing succulent perennial from the family Asteraceae of the genus Senecio; a native of South Africa an alien in Australia, a problem weed in New Zealand, naturalized in North Africa, and cultivated elsewhere. Senecio tamoides has been misapplied in Australia and is currently considered to be Senecio angulatus.

<i>Hakea epiglottis</i> species of plant

Hakea epiglottis is a shrub commonly known as beaked hakea or needlebush hakea and is endemic to Tasmania where populations consist of functional unisexual plants. In a 1989 publication by John Wrigley & Murray Fagg states specimens at Wakehurst Place, an annexe of Kew Gardens London are specimens believed to be 60-70 years old measuring 3 m (9.8 ft) high and wide.

Ranunculus papulentus, commonly known as the large river buttercup, is a buttercup that is endemic to south-eastern Australia.

<i>Ranunculus andersonii</i> species of plant

Ranunculus andersonii is a species of buttercup known by the common name Anderson's buttercup. It is native to the western United States, including the Great Basin and surrounding regions, where it grows in sagebrush, woodlands, and other habitat. It is a perennial herb producing a basal rosette of thick leaves which are each divided into three double-lobed leaflets at the end of a petiole. The inflorescence arises from the rosette on an erect, leafless stalk usually no more than 20 centimeters tall. It bears one flower with usually five white or red-tinged petals each up to 2 centimeters long with white or pinkish sepals at the base. At the center of the flower are many yellow stamens and pistils. The fruit is an achene, borne in a spherical cluster of 14 or more.

<i>Ranunculus flabellaris</i> species of plant

Ranunculus flabellaris is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup genus, Ranunculus, known by the common name yellow water buttercup. It is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada and most of the United States.

<i>Ranunculus macounii</i> species of plant

Ranunculus macounii is a species of buttercup known by the common name Macoun's buttercup. It is native to much of North America, from Alaska and northwestern Canada to Newfoundland and Labrador, and the contiguous United States except for the northeast and southeastern areas. It grows in many types of moist habitat, including marshes and wet areas woodlands and scrub. It is generally semi-aquatic, growing in or next to shallow water, or in muddy places. It is a perennial herb producing prostrate, spreading stems that root at nodes that come in contact with moist substrate, or growing erect and branching. The stems are generally hairy, but populations of hairless specimens are known. The leaves are mostly divided into three lobed, toothed leaflets which are borne on long, hairy petioles. The flowers each have five shiny yellow petals under a centimeter long around a center of many stamens and pistils. The fruit is an achene borne in a spherical cluster of 20 or more.

<i>Ranunculus parviflorus</i> species of plant

Ranunculus parviflorus is a species of buttercup known by the common name smallflower buttercup. It is native to Europe, but it is known on other areas of the world as an introduced species and sometimes a roadside weed, for example, in parts of Australia and the United States.

<i>Ranunculus lappaceus</i> species of plant

Ranunculus lappaceus, commonly known as the common buttercup, Australian buttercup or Yarrakalgamba, is found across eastern Australia. Like buttercups elsewhere, it is a perennial herb with yellow flowers appearing in spring and summer.

Ranunculus allenii, commonly known as Allen's buttercup, is a flowering plant in the crowfoot or buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Generally found in wetlands in northern latitudes, it bears yellow flowers in summer, which are pollinated by insects.

<i>Ranunculus abortivus</i> species of plant

Ranunculus abortivus is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Its common names include littleleaf buttercup, small-flower crowfoot, small-flowered buttercup, and kidneyleaf buttercup. It is widespread across much of North America, found in all ten Canadian provinces as well as Yukon and the Northwest Territories, and most of the United States, except Hawaii, Oregon, California, and parts of the Southwest.

<i>Galium antarcticum</i> Species of plant

Galium antarcticum, commonly known as Antarctic bedstraw or subantarctic bedstraw, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family. It has a largely subantarctic range.

<i>Ranunculus pinguis</i> A perennial plant from New Zealand

Ranunculus pinguis is a dark green, fleshy-leaved buttercup with relatively large, short-stalked flowers and narrow stiff yellow petals that grows in tufts. It is an endemic species of New Zealand on the Auckland and Campbell Islands that flowers from December to January and sets seeds between February and April.

<i>Ranunculus peduncularis</i> species of plant

Ranunculus peduncularis is a large perennial buttercup that grows in Patagonia on the margins of woods, scrubs and along streams, with long stems and deeply divided leaves. In the wild it flowers from spring to summer.

<i>Ranunculus bullatus</i> species of plant

Ranunculus bullatus, commonly known as autumn buttercup, is a perennial member of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe and north Africa, including most Mediterranean islands.

<i>Ranunculus viridis</i> species of plant

Ranunculus viridis, the Mount Allen buttercup, is a critically endangered species of alpine Ranunculus (buttercup), endemic to Rakiura/Stewart Island, New Zealand, where it occurs at altitudes of 700 metres (2,300 ft) on Mount Allen in the Tin Range.

References

  1. "Ranunculus acaulis DC". The Plant List.
  2. 1 2 "Ranunculus acaulis Banks & Sol. ex DC". Flora of New Zealand.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Ranunculus acaulis". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network.
  4. "Ranunculus acaulis" (PDF). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (Tasmania).
  5. "Ranunculus acaulis". Flora of Australia Online.
  6. 1 2 C.A. Lehnebach (2008). Phylogenetic and Affinities, Species Delimitation and Adaptive Radiation of New Zealand Ranunculus, thesis (PDF). Palmerston North, New Zealand: Massey University. pp. 21–22.
  7. "Ranunculus acaulis Banks & Sol". Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
  8. "Ranunculus acaulis – Distribution". Enciclopedia de la flora chilena.