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  4. Ranunculus macropus

Ranunculus macropus

Waipori, Waihola Wetlands.<br>Photographer: John Barkla, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0'>CC BY</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere.<br>Photographer: Melissa Hutchison, Date taken: 16/02/2021, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Close up of flower of Ranunculus macropus, Ex Cult. March 1989, from swamp near Gisborne.<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Ranunculus macropus (left bottom side) and R. amphitrichus (top right side).<br>Photographer: Peter J. de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Flower, Taupo Swamp. Plimmerton.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 01/12/1976, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.
Canterbury Plains.<br>Photographer: Melissa Hutchison, Date taken: 09/05/2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Canterbury Plains.<br>Photographer: Melissa Hutchison, Date taken: 09/05/2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Canterbury Plains.<br>Photographer: Melissa Hutchison, Date taken: 09/05/2019, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
H. Carse collection from near Tuakau, Waikato River (held at AK Herbarium).<br>Photographer: Gillian M. Crowcroft, Date taken: 01/01/1989, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Canadian Flats, Otago.<br>Photographer: Mike Thorsen, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Common name

swamp buttercup

Synonyms

Ranunculus longipetiolatus Colenso

Family

Ranunculaceae

Authority

Ranunculus macropus Hook.f.

Flora category

Vascular – Native

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

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.

RANMAC

Chromosome number

2n = 96

Current conservation status

  • Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley.

2012 | Data Deficient

Previous conservation statuses

2009 | Data Deficient

2004 | Gradual Decline

Distribution

Endemic to the North and northern South Islands. In the North Island formerly widespread from the northern Waikato south to Wellington. Most recent collections come from the western Waikato, Rotorua Lakes District and East Cape to Hawkes Bay. In the South Island, apparently always scarce, and there seem to have been few collections made over the last 20 or so years. Recently (2010) a population was found at Canadian Flats on the Taieri River in Otago, and scattered populations are present in wetlands on the Canterbury Plains west of Christchurch, and at Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere.

Habitat

Coastal to lowland. Usually found in raupō (Typha orientalis) dominated wetlands where it grows in still moderately deep to deep water.

Features

Semi-aquatic to aquatic herb. Rosettes tufted on stout creeping stems. Basal leaves on very stout petioles (7-)15-30(-40) mm x 5-10 mm, arising from bulbous nodes. Leaves ternate (15-)-20-40(-80) mm wide, leaflets sessile or shortly stalked, cuneiform, shallowly 3-fid, apices crenate, serrate or entire, lateral leaflets slightly to distinctly larger than terminal, caulien leaves few, similar to basal but smaller. Flowers (1-)3-5 per stem, 10-15(-20) mm diam., pedicels galbrous. Sepals speading or weakly recurved, glabrous. Petals (1-)3-5(-7), dark yellow, oblong to broadly oblong, shortly clawed, nectary single, 0.5-1(-1.5) mm from petal base. Receptacle with basal collar of bristles. Achenes 15-50(-65), hardly flattened, glabrous 1.5-2 mm, beak straight, 1-1.5 mm long.

Similar taxa

Confused with R. amphitrichus and R. glabrifolius. Species hybridizes with R. amphitrichus, the progeny of which are fertile (P. J. de Lange pers. obs.). Species is distinguished by the larger flower, with broad, irregularly spaced, oblong petals, whose nectary scale is virtually obscured by a dense cluster of carpels when viewed from above. In good habitat and growing conditions R. macropus is a very robust plant with very large, ternate leaves borne on stout petioles.

Flowering

September - April (but sporadic flowering may occur at anytime of the year)

Flower colours

Yellow

Fruiting

October - July

Propagation technique

Easy from the division of whole plants and from fresh seed. A wetland species which requires permanently damp but sunny situations, Good in shallow ponds.

Threats

Threatened by wetland drainage, modification and the spread of weeds. In large parts of its former range hybrids are now more commonly encountered than the actual species.

Etymology

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

macropus: Big foot

Where To Buy

Not commercially available.

Taxonomic notes

This species seems to be a shy flowerer, and is more often found in a sterile, vegetative state than reproductive. This trait is carried over into F1 hybrids. Hybrids are common wherever wetlands containing this species and R. amphitrichus have been modified, e..g, the wetlands of the lower Waikato. The taxonomic distinctiveness of Ranunculus macropus needs further study. It is truly, as Cheeseman (1925) makes clear a ‘critical species’.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (30 August 2003). Description based on Allan (1961), Webb et al. (1988) and fresh specimens.

References and further reading

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I. Wellington, Government Printer

Cheeseman, T.F. 1925: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Wellington, Government Printer.

Webb, C.J.; Sykes, W.R.; Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. Christchurch, DSIR Botany Division.

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Ranunculus macropus Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/ranunculus-macropus/ (Date website was queried)

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