Ranunculus scrithalis
Common name
Eyre Mountains buttercup
Synonyms
None (first described in 1987)
Family
Ranunculaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Current conservation status
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL, Sp
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP
2004 | Range Restricted
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.
Features
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
Flowering
December - January
Flower colours
Yellow
Fruiting
February - April
Propagation technique
Difficult. Should not be removed from the wild
Threats
Apparently very local in its distribution. Probably threatened by browsing animals. This species may be more threatened than is currently believed.
Etymology
ranunculus: From the Latin ‘rana’ frog, meaning little frog and probably refers to the plants typical marshy habit where frogs abound
Where To Buy
Not commercially available
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)