RANUNCULUS BREVIFOLIUS

Family:- RANUNCULACEAE/Subgen. RANUNCULUS/Sect. THORA

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Ranunculus (L) Little-frog, diminutive of rana, (reference to the water-

loving habit of many species).

Brevifolius (L) Short leaved, with short leaves.

General description:- Glabrous perennial with a short, oblique rhizome bearing

long, somewhat fleshy roots.

Stem:-

1) 5-15 cm, usually simple and 1-flowered.

2) Flowering stems 1-3(-5), procumbent to ascending.

Leaves:-

1) Glaucous, glabrous; the lower reniform, entire at the base and then increasingly

coarsely serrate to the apex.

2) Basal, usually several cauline leaves 1(2), 3-sect.

a) petiolate, appearing after flowering.

b) blade reniform.15-40 mm broad, somewhat fleshy, shallowly 3-lobed, usually

glaucous.

3) Lower cauline sessile.

Flowers:-

1) Flowers 1 to several, 15-25 mm diam.

2) Petals 8-12 mm, obovate, bright yellow.

3) Sepals glabrous, spreading, 2/3 as long as the petals, tinged purple.

4) Honey-leaves ovate.

5) Receptacle sparsely hairy.

Fruit:- Achenes:

1) Fruiting head c. 10 mm, subglobose.

2) Achenes 8-20, not or only slightly compressed.

a) body of achene 3-4 mm, smooth.

b) beak 1-1.5 mm, slender, circinnate.

Key features:-

1) Basal leaves several; cauline 1(2).

2) Achene 3-4 mm; beak long.

Habitat:- Seasonally damp, stabilized limestone screes, 1400-2300 m

Distribution:- - C ltaly, W Balkan Peninsula from Montenegro to S Greece, also in

SW Anatolia. On Crete confined to the Lefka Ori and Psiloritis massifs.

Flowering time:- May to mid-July, often near patches of melting snow.

Photos by:- Christopher Cheiladakis

FAMILY AND GENUS DESCRIPTIONS

RANUNCULACEAE

General description:- Herbs or rarely woody climbers.

Leaves:- Alternate, without stipules (exstipulate), rarely opposite or stipulate.

Flowers:- Usually hermaphrodite and radially symmetrical (actinomorphic), the

sepals, petals and stamens inserted on the receptacle below and free from the

ovary (hypogynous). Perianth petaloid or sepaloid, arranged in whorled (verticillate).

Honey-leaves (petaloid structures bearing nectaries) often present, sometimes

funnel-shaped (infundibuliform). Stamens numerous, usually spirally arranged, with

the anthers facing and opening outwards, away from the centre of the flower

(extrorse). Carpels 1 to many, usually free and spirally arranged.

Fruit:- Usually of 1 or more follicles or a head of achenes.

RANUNCULUS

General description:- Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes aquatic.

Flowers:- Solitary or in cymose panicles. Perianth-segments (3-)5(-7). Honey-

leaves (0-)5(-12), usually deciduous, petaloid, yellow or white, rarely red or purple.

Fruit:- Achenes numerous, usually with a persistent glabrous style.

Key features:-

1) Leaves simple or palmately divided.

Subgen. RANUNCULUS

General description:- Usually terrestrial plants.

Leaves:- Various but very rarely divided into capillary segments.

Flowers:- Yellow or white, rarely red or purple.

Fruit:- Achenes very rarely transversely covered in reticulate lines (rugose).

Sect. THORA

1) Roots tuberous.

2) Leaves broader than long.

3) Receptacle ovoid.

4) Achenes scarcely compressed, strongly veined.