Ranunculus scrithalis
Common names
Eyre Mountains buttercup
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed description
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
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.
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.
- 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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: Sp, DPS, DPT, RR
Threats
Apparently very local in its distribution. Probably threatened by browsing animals. This species may be more threatened than is currently believed.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
None (first described in 1987)
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December - January
Fruiting
February - April
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild
Other information
Plant of the Month
This plant has been featured as a Plant of the Month – see Trilepidea: NZPCN newsletter for February 2017 for the full story.
Etymology
ranunculus: From the Latin ‘rana’ frog, meaning little frog and probably refers to the plants typical marshy habit where frogs abound
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.
RANSCR
Previous conservation statuses
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.
- 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.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, RR, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Range Restricted
Regional conservation statuses
Otago: 2024 | At Risk – Regionally Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, NR, NS, NStr, RR, Sp, St, TL
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Regional conservation status of indigenous vascular plants in Otago” Jarvie S et al. (2024) report.
Referencing and citations
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange for NZPCN (1 June 2013)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Ranunculus scrithalis Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/ranunculus-scrithalis/ (Date website was queried)