Species

Ranunculus reflexus

Etymology

Ranunculus: From the Latin 'rana' frog, meaning little frog and probably refers to the plants typical marshy habit where frogs abound
reflexus: Bent backwards

Common Name(s)

Hairy buttercup, Maru, Maruru, Kopukapuka, Pirikau

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Ranunculus reflexus Garn.-Jones

Family

Ranunculaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

RANREF

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North, South, Stewart, Chatham and Auckland Islands.

Features

Non-rhizomatous, tufted perennial, (0.1-)0.3-0.8(-1.0) m tall. Stems erect, with hairs spreading below, appressed above. Basal leaves usually pinnate, rarely 3-foliolate or 3-lobed, hairy; leaflets stalked, ovate or obovate, entire or shallowly to deeply 3-lobed, toothed, very variable in size, 10-50(-60) mm diameter. Cauline leaves similar, smaller, often merely 3-lobed; lobes narrower. Flowers 3 or more per stem, 8-15 mm diameter. Pedicels terete to sulcate, up to 300 mm long, with appressed hairs. Sepals reflexed at flowering, hairy. Petals 5, yellow, narrow-oblong to narrow-obovate; nectary single, c. 0.5 mm from petal base, covered by a small oblong scale. Receptacle hairy. Achenes 40-80-(100), in ovoid heads, small and pale, moderately flattened, glabrous; body 1.5-2.0 mm long; beak often dark, hooked, 0.7-1.0 mm.

Flower Colours

Yellow

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 48

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Attribution

Description adapted from Webb et al. (1988).

References and further reading

Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1987. Orthographic Changes for Names of New Zealand Vascular Plants. New Zealand Journal of Botany 25: 115-170.

Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1990. Typification of Ranunculus names in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 28: 115-123.

Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand. Volume IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. Botany Division, D.S.I.R, Christchurch, New Zealand.

This page last updated on 15 Jan 2014