Species

Ranunculus scrithalis

Etymology

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

Common Name(s)

Eyre Mountains buttercup

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - OL, Sp
2009 - DP

Authority

Ranunculus scrithalis Garn.-Jones

Family

Ranunculaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

None (first described in 1987)

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, Eyre Mountains.

Habitat

Alpine (1100-1900 m a.s.l.). Growing in fine, moist clay underlying shingle slides and within stable scree.

Features

Stout perennial forming small, solitary tufts up to 200 mm tall; rhizome stout, fleshy ascending to trailing (well buried within fine clay and shingle). Leaves usually partially buried in shignle often with just the tips protruding, 30-150 mm long, broadly ovate, dark glaucous-grey to glaucous green, with tips tinged red, broadly ovate, deeply 2-3-terantisect, lamina covered with fine silky hairs; ultimate lobes linear, subacute. Scapes 1-flowered, erect, thickly invested in fine silky hairs. Fliowers 20-30 mm diameter. Sepals spreading, narrowly ovate, finely covered with silky hairs. Petals 12-15, up to 15 mm long, lemon yellow, linear-oblong, nectary solitary, c.6 mm from petal base, annular. Receptacle glabrous. Achenes numerous, turgid, sparsely silky hairy; body 2-2.5 mm long, beak 3-3.5 mm long.

Similar Taxa

Somewhat similar to R. haastii Hook.f. and R. buchananii Hook.f. From R. buchananii it differs by its yellow rather than white flowers, glabrous receptacle, and by the middle leaf segment which is sessile rather than stipitate. Ecologically both species also differ. R. buchananii favours stable debris slopes, rock ledges and crevices kept damp by meltwater, and in close proximity to permanent snow and ice fields. R. scrithalis grows in fine, damp clay partially buried within scree and shingle slides. From R. haastii, R. scrithalis differs by its allopatric distribution, silky hairy leaves, hairy rather than glabrescent or glabrous achenes, and subacute to rounded rather than truncate to retuse petals

Flowering

December - January

Flower Colours

Yellow

Fruiting

February - April

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild

Threats

Apparently very local in its distribution. Probably threatened by browsing animals. This species may be more threatened than is currently believed.

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not commercially available

This page last updated on 15 Jan 2014