SPECIES DESCRIPTION
RANUNCULUS OPHIOGLOSSIFOLIUS
Family and Genus:- See- RANUNCULACEAE/Sect. FLAMMULA
Common Names:- Adderstongue spearwort
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Ranunculus (L) Little-frog, diminutive of rana, (reference to the water-
loving habit of many species).
Ophioglossifolius (Gr) Snake's-tongue-leaved.
General description:- Subglabrous annual or sometimes biennial, rooting at the
lower nodes.
Stems:-
1) 10-40 cm, ascending or usually erect, fistulose, rather thick, 5-12 mm diam,
sparingly branched.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, few, long-petiolate;
a) lamina, 15-30 x 10-20 mm, ovate, rounded or cordate, at the base.
b) margins, entire or crenate-dentate, subobtuse.
2) Lower cauline, similar to the basal ones.
3) Upper, short-petiolate or subsessile, with elliptic to oblanceolate lamina.
Flowers:-
1) Pedicels, generally longer than the subtending leaf, slender, with sparsely
appressed-pubescent.
2) Sepals, 3-4 mm, broadly elliptic, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, pale green,
sometimes suffused purple.
3) Petals, c. 5 mm, obovate, obtuse, pale yellow.
4) Receptacle, glabrous.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes
a) head, c. 5 mm, broadly ovoid to globose, with more than 50 achenes.
b) body,1.1-1.5 mm, ellipsoid to obovoid, slightly compressed, with hyaline
tubercles and a very short, dark beak.
Key features:-
1) Basal leaves, ovate, rounded or cordate at the base.
2) Petals, c. 5 mm, obovate, obtuse.
3) Body, of the achene slightly compressed, with hyaline tubercles.
Habitat:- Marshy and muddy places, ditches, seepage meadows, etc. 0-800(-1400)
m.
Distribution:- Mediterranean area and W Europe. Scattered throughout Greece but
not common. Known from all regions except Northern Pindos. Crete known only
from the west.
Flowering time:- Late Mar to mid-May, occasionally later.
Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis
RANUNCULUS FONTANUS Back to Top
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Fontanus (L) Of fountains, springs, or fast running streams.
Differing from Ranunculus ophioglossifolius in the following characters:
1) Stem, procumbent, rooting at the lower nodes.
2) Lamina, 10-20 x 7-15 mm, subacute.
3) Petals, 3-4.5 mm, pale to medium yellow.
4) Achenes, (20-)30-50, in a globose head.
a) body, smooth or minutely pitted.
Habitat:- Marshy places by small streams at 950-1800 m.
Distribution:- Scattered in the mountains of N Greece southwards to c. 40°N, in -
Italy and Balkan Peninsula. On Crete known only from an isolated locality in Mt
Dikti.
Flowering time:- In early June.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
