Ranunculus pinguis

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Ranunculus pinguis
Ranunculus pinguis Meurk 1.jpg
Ranunculus pinguis
Status NZTCS NU.svg
Naturally Uncommon (NZ TCS) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Ranunculus
Species:
R. pinguis
Binomial name
Ranunculus pinguis
Synonyms
  • R. pinguis var. pilosus
  • R. pinguis var. rhombifolius [4]

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. [4] [5]

Contents

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 pinguis is Latin and means thick or fat. [6] [7]

Description

Ranunculus pinguis is a tufted perennial of 5–25 cm high, with a stout rhizome. The leaves are stalked, with fleshy, glabrous or hairy blades of 2–8 cm that are narrowly diamond to kidney shaped, and shallowly incised to form three to five, or sometimes seven lobes, and a margin that is often with few large rounded teeth (or crenate). The solitary flowers are 2–3 cm in diameter. The pedicels are erect and usually hairy (pilose) at least in the upper half. The sepals are spread out and hairy. The five to ten yellow, narrow spoon-shaped petals usually have a single but occasionally three naked nectaries, about ½ cm above the base of the petal. The receptacle is glabrous, carrying numerous single and not fused carpels. These develop into dry, one-seeded fruits (or achenes) that are not flattened, mostly without hair, but sometimes pilose, with a body of 1½–2 mm and a straight beak of about 2 mm long. [4] The species has forty eight chromosomes (2n=48). [8]

Distribution and ecology

Ranunculus pinguis is not uncommon on Campbell Island and it grows among rocks from near sea-level to the peak of the hills. It usually grows where sheep cannot reach it. On the Auckland Islands it is common among rocks, but also fully exposed along the ridgeline in moist stony soil and along the higher limit of the grasslands on peat. In well-sheltered situations plants have large leaves without hair, as opposed to exposed plants. [5]

Taxonomy

Plate I from the Flora of Lord Auckland and Campbell's Islands Flora Antarctica Plate I.jpg
Plate I from the Flora of Lord Auckland and Campbell's Islands

There are some differences between the populations on both archipelagos. Auckland specimens often have somewhat narrowly orbicular hairless leaves, and more numerous and larger petals that regularly carry three nectarines. Campbell plants on the other hand often have round to kidney-shaped leaves covered by short but very fine silky hairs. Both populations vary in these characteristics and there is no reason to separate them taxonomically. [5] Genetic analysis shows that R. pinguis is sister to a group consisting of R. gunnianus , R. pachyrrhizus , R. sericophyllus and R. viridis . [8]

Conservation status

In both 2009 and 2012 it was deemed to be "At Risk - Naturally Uncommon" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, [7] and this New Zealand classification was reaffirmed in 2018, due to its restricted range. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ranunculus</i> Genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Ranunculus is a large genus of about 1700 to more than 1800 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots.

<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 glacialis</i> Species of buttercup

Ranunculus glacialis, the glacier buttercup or glacier crowfoot, is a plant of the family Ranunculaceae. It is a 5-10(-20) cm high perennial herb. Often with a single relatively large flower, with 5 petals first white later pink or reddish. The underside of the 5 sepals are densely brown-hairy. The leaves are fleshy, shiny, and deeply loped, forming 3 leaflets. Ranunculus glacialis reported to have a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 16.

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

Ranunculus bulbosus, commonly known as bulbous buttercup or St. Anthony's turnip, is a perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has bright yellow flowers, and deeply divided, three-lobed long-petioled basal leaves.

<i>Ranunculus lyallii</i> Species of buttercup

Ranunculus lyallii, is a species of Ranunculus (buttercup), endemic to New Zealand, where it occurs in the South Island and on Stewart Island at altitudes of 700–1,500 m. R. lyallii is the largest species in the genus Ranunculus, growing over a meter in height.

<i>Ranunculus aconitifolius</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus aconitifolius, the aconite-leaf buttercup or bachelor's buttons, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to central Europe. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) high by 40 cm (16 in) broad, this herbaceous perennial has slightly hairy palmate leaves up to 20 cm (8 in) long, and loose panicles of white, saucer-shaped flowers in spring.

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 flowering 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>Ranunculus acraeus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus acraeus is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, found in New Zealand. This rare and native species strictly grows on an alpine habitat, hence the name acraeus, meaning “on high”. The plant grows about 50 cm (20 in) in width, and is covered in beautiful, bright yellow flowers. It may be mistaken for R. piliferus but research has shown R. acraeus to be its own distinctive species.

<i>Ranunculus cortusifolius</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus cortusifolius, also known as the Azores buttercup or Canary buttercup, is a plant species in the genus Ranunculus, family Ranunculaceae, the buttercup or crowfoot family. It grows on moister sites throughout the Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands but is widely cultivated elsewhere as an ornamental. There are reports of it having become naturalized in parts of California.

<i>Ranunculus acaulis</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Ranunculus hispidus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus hispidus is a species of perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is commonly known as bristly buttercup or hispid buttercup. It is a small plant native to central and eastern North America that grows to a height up to 30 cm (1 ft) and has 5-petaled yellow flowers.

<i>Ranunculus viridis</i> Species of buttercup

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.

<i>Myosotis capitata</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis capitata is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to the Campbell and Auckland Islands of New Zealand. Joseph Dalton Hooker described the species in his 19th century work Flora Antarctica. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial and erect, and have ebracteate inflorescences and blue corollas. It is one of two native species of Myosotis in the New Zealand subantarctic islands, the other being M. antarctica, which can also have blue corollas.

<i>Plantago triantha</i> Species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae

Plantago triantha is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae that is native to Tasmania, Australia and the subantarctic Auckland Islands of New Zealand. Robert Brown described the species in 1810. Plants of this species of plantain are annual or perennial with a rosette habit, fleshy toothed leaves, and short inflorescences.

<i>Ranunculus arcticus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus arcticus, the birdfoot buttercup, is a species of buttercup in the family Ranunculaceae. It has a circumpolar distribution in Northern Europe, Northern Asia and North America.

<i>Ranunculus lanuginosus</i> Species of plant

Ranunculus lanuginosus, commonly known as the wooly buttercup and downy buttercup, is a herbaceous perennial plant species in the family Ranunculaceae, that grows in some parts of Europe.

<i>Ranunculus tripartitus</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae

Ranunculus tripartitus is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, which grows in pools and muddy hollows in coastal parts of Europe, North Africa and West Asia. It is rare and endangered throughout its range, and is considered to be an indicator of favourable environmental conditions.

<i>Ranunculus adoneus</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus adoneus, the alpine buttercup or snow buttercup, is a species of flowering plant. It is an alpine buttercup from the family Ranunculaceae. This species is mainly found in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming but can also be found in Idaho, northern Utah and eastern Nevada. Its typical habitat is short grass meadows near the edge of melting snow.

<i>Myosotis laeta</i> Species of flowering plant

Myosotis laeta is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, endemic to ultramafic areas of the Sounds-Nelson area of the South Island of New Zealand. Thomas Cheeseman described the species in 1885. Plants of this species of forget-me-not are perennial rosettes which form loose tufts or clumps, with ebracteate, erect inflorescences, and white corollas.

References

  1. 1 2 de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla, J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.M.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R. (2018-05-01). "Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017" (PDF). New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 22: 47. OCLC   1041649797.
  2. "Ranunculus pinguis Hook.f. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  3. 1 2 Hooker, J.D. (1844). "Ranunculus pinguis". The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage of H.M. Discovery Ships Erebus and Terror in the Years 1839-1843 :under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross. 1: 3. Plate I
  4. 1 2 3 Webb; et al. (1988). Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 4. cited on "Ranunculus pinguis Hook.f." Flora of New Zealand.
  5. 1 2 3 F.J.F. Fischer; J.B. Hair (1963). "The Ranunculi of the subantarctic islands of New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Botany. 1 (3): 325–335. Bibcode:1963NZJB....1..325F. doi: 10.1080/0028825X.1963.10429003 .
  6. "pinguis". Latin Dictionary.
  7. 1 2 "Ranunculus pinguis | New Zealand Plant Conservation Network". nzpcn.org.nz. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  8. 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.