Ranunculus reflexus
Common names
hairy buttercup, maru, maruru, kopukapuka, pirikau
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
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.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North, South, Stewart, Chatham and Auckland Islands.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Ranunculaceae
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
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). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
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
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.
RANREF
Chromosome number
2n = 48
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
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.
Attribution
Description adapted from Webb et al. (1988).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.