Ranunculus flammula
Common name
spearwort
Family
Ranunculaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
NVS code
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.
RANFLA
Conservation status
Not applicable
Brief description
R. flammula is a perennial herb with bright yellow, butter-cup like flowers. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped, upright and not divided.
Distribution
Throughout most of the North and South Island.
Habitat
Wet sites such as drains, ditches, ponds and swamps.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland).
FACW: Facultative Wetland
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands (non-wetlands).
Features
A fleshy perennial herb with small pale yellow flowers (1o to 15 mm in diameter). Stems are slender, creeping or upright to 50 cm or more long. The leaves at the base of the stems are up to 8 cm long, and occur on stems up to 10 cm long. The stem leaves are comparatively smaller, lanceolate, entire or finely toothed.
Similar taxa
No other buttercup (Ranunculus) has an undivided lanceolate leaf.
Flowering
October to March
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
Autumn
Life cycle
Water fowl feed on fruit and disperse seed and also seeds may be dispersed by water movement.
Year naturalised
1907
Origin
Europe, Caucasus, Northwest Africa
Reason for introduction
Unknown, possibly a seed contaminant or ornamental pond plant
Control techniques
Not usually controlled in New Zealand, but may be controlled manually, mechanically or herbicidally depending on situation.
Etymology
ranunculus: From the Latin ‘rana’ frog, meaning little frog and probably refers to the plants typical marshy habit where frogs abound
Attribution
Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA).
References and further reading
Popay et al (2010). An illustrated guide to common weeds of New Zealand, third edition. NZ Plant Protection Society Inc, 416pp.
Johnson PN, Brooke PA (1989). Wetland plants in New Zealand. DSIR Field Guide, DSIR Publishing, Wellington. 319pp.
Coffey BT, Clayton JS (1988). New Zealand water plants: a guide to plants found in New Zealand freshwaters. Ruakura Agricultural Cente. 65pp