SPECIES DESCRIPTION
RANUNCULUS VELUTINUS
Family and Genus:- See- RANUNCULACEAE/Subgen. RANUNCULUS/Sect.
Common Names:- None
Homotypic Synonyms:- Ranunculus tommasinii
Meaning:- Ranunculus (L) Little-frog, diminutive of rana, (reference to the water-
loving habit of many species).
Velutinus (L) With a soft silky down-like covering, velvety.
General description:- Short-lived perennial without rhizome. Roots fibrous, not
thickened.
Stems:-
1) 40-80 cm. single or few, erect, petioles and lower part of the stems patent-
pubescent otherwise sericeous.
Leaves:-
1) Basal, with a long, densely patent-pilose petiole,
a) blade, 3-7 x 3-7 cm, broadly rounded-triangular, pilose on both surfaces, 3-
partite to c. 3/4, the lobes cuneate-obovate and dentate.
2) Cauline, few and reduced.
Flowers:-
1) Rather small, on slender, terete pedicels.
2) Sepals, strongly deflexed.
3) Petals, 6-10 mm, narrowly obovate, bright yellow.
4) Receptacle, glabrous.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes, strongly compressed; body c. 3 mm, suborbicular, smooth,
a) beak, short (c. 0.5 mm), triangular.
Key features:-
1) Achene, smooth, punctulate or with few, small, obtuse tubercles.
2) Receptacle, glabrous.
3) Sepals, deflexed at anthesis.
4) Leaf-segments, cuneate-obovate.
5) Pedicel, terete.
Habitat:- Damp to wet meadows, roadside ditches, seasonally wet places in olive
groves and open scrub, 0-1000( -1600) m
Distribution:- C and E Mediterranean from France and Corsica eastwards. On
Crete known only from a few scattered marshes and damp places. Very rare.
Flowering time:- Late April to early June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
