Ranunculaceae

The buttercup family – non-woody but nearly always perennial, leaves exstipulate and often compound, numerous stamens almost always spirally arranged, carpels usually free and superior but often with only one ovule.  Important genera, native and naturalised species: Ranunculus, Clematis. Part of the text on this page has been modified from Allan (1961).

 

 

Ranunculus

Perennial, sometimes annual herbs.  Leaves usually alternate, often loved or dissected.  Flowers solitary or in lose leafy chymes.  Nectaries near base of petals, stamens spiralled, one ovule.  Fruit an achene.  About 400 species, cosmopolitan in distribution, mostly temperate.  New Zealand has approximately 40 native species (about 35 endemic), about 17 of which reach the alpine zone.

 

Synopsis of Ranunculus in New Zealand    

All New Zealand species are in the subgenus Ranunculus. Leaves mostly basal, divided into broad or narrow segments, petals yellow, rarely white or reddish, Achenes not transversely wrinkled.

  1. Section Epirotes.  Roots fibrous, 5 sepals, petals number between 5-15 (some up to 25), achenes long-beaked
    1. Tufted alpines with stout rhizomes

                                                               i.      Petals white e.g., R. lyallii.

                                                             ii.      Petals yellow

a.       Petals 8-15 (some up to 25) e.g., R. haastii, R. nivicola.

b.      Petals about 5 e.g., R. crithmifolius, R. enysii.

    1. Lowland to alpine, often subaquatic, rosettes tufted on slender stolons or rhizomes e.g., R.  amphitichus.
  1. Section Ranunculus.  Roots fibrous, sepals 5, petals usually 5.  Achenes beaked.
    1. Tufted, never stoloniferous, rarely producing offset daughter rosettes

                                                               i.      Nectary at the petal, with broad scale e.g., R. multiscapus.

                                                             ii.      Nectary at base of limb, with narrow scale

a.       Stem 1-flowered, leafless e.g., R. royi.

b.      Stem with 1-3 (some up to 10) flowers, with one or more bracts e.g., R. foliosus.

    1. Stoloniferous

                                                               i.      Lamina divided into stalked leaflets e.g., R. membranifolius.

                                                             ii.      Lamina lobed but not divided to base e.g., R. simulans.

 

 

 

Ranunculus lyallii (commonly but incorrectly known as Mount Cook lily).  With its distinctive, large (12-30cm in diameter) rounded leaves on petioles up to 30cm long this species is often wrongly referred to as a lily (hence the common name).  It grows in the higher rainfall subalpine to low alpine areas of the South Island and Stewart Island.  The large flowers (5-8cm in diameter) are in branched panicles, on pedicels up to 20cm long.

 

 

Ranunculus haastii (Haast’s buttercup) that is restricted to debris slopes and screes in the alpine zone of the South Island.  It grows to between 5-15cm tall and is anchored by a stout underground rhizome embedded in the stable soil layer.  This means it is able to maintain its position when the scree moves.

 

 

Close up of a Ranunculus nivicola flower.  This species grows in the herbfield scrub and scoria in alpine zone in the North Island.

 

 

Ranunculus crithmifolius (R. paucifolius) is commonly found growing in the alpine zone in the South Island on gentle recently-formed debris slopes or where eroding soil and lose stones are exposed.  This species is characterised by the mottled, greyish-brown, fleshy leaves.

 

 

Ranunculus enysii which usually grows in moist sheltered sites among the snow tussocks in the South Island alpine zone. 

 

 

Ranunculus recens a threatened plant of the Taranaki coastal herbfields.

 

 

 

Keys

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington.

Webb, C.J., W.R. Sykes & P.J. Garnock-Jones 1988: Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV, DSIR Wellington.

 

References

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington.

Fisher, F.J.F. 1965: The alpine Ranunculi of New Zealand.  Botany Division, DSIR, Wellington.

Mark, A.F. & N.M. Adams 1995: New Zealand alpine plants. Godwit Publishing Ltd, Auckland.

Webb, C.J., W.R. Sykes & P.J. Garnock-Jones 1988: Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV, DSIR Wellington.

Webb, C.J., P.N. Johnson & W.R. Sykes 1990: Flowering Plants of New Zealand. DSIR Botany Division, Christchurch.

 

 

Clematis

Perennial climbing shrubs, rarely terrestrial herbs.  Leaves opposite and usually compound, in New Zealand usually divided into three leaflets that are either entire or lobed.   Flowers in the New Zealand species are dioecious or polygamo-dioecious and held in axillary panicles. Fruit a cluster of sessile achenes with a persistent elongate style. About 200 species, cosmopolitan, mostly temperate. New Zealand has nine endemic species all of which are climbing shrubs.

 

 


Clematis paniculata (puawhananga).  This is the most widespread of the native species, common in lowland to montane forest, especially on the margins, throughout the whole country.  The flowers of this species are held in showy panicles (hence the specific name).  Note that in Clematis what appear to be petals are actually sepals and there are no petals. 

 

 

 


Clematis foetida on Rainbow Mountain.  The flowers of this species are strongly scented (hence the specific name).

 

 

 

Clematis vitalba (old man’s beard) growing on cabbage tree (Cordyline australis) near Taihape.  This is a naturalised species and is a troublesome weed in secondary growth or damaged native forest.  As this photo shows, whenever there is sufficient light it will climb high in the canopy.  It is very difficult to eradicate. 

 

 

 

Keys

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington

Webb, C.J., W.R. Sykes & P.J. Garnock-Jones 1988: Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV, DSIR Wellington

 

References

Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand, Volume I, Government Printer, Wellington

Heenan, P.B. & J. Cartman 2000: Reinstatement of Clematis petriei (Ranunculaceae), and typification and variation of C. forsteri.  New Zealand Journal of Botany 38(4): 575-585.

Poole, A.L. & N. M. Adams 1994: Trees and shrubs of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington.

Webb, C.J., W.R. Sykes & P.J. Garnock-Jones 1988: Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV, DSIR Wellington.

Webb, C.J., P.N. Johnson & W.R. Sykes 1990: Flowering Plants of New Zealand. DSIR Botany Division, Christchurch.

Wilson, T. & T. Galloway 1993: Small-leaved Shrubs of New Zealand. Manuka Press, Christchurch.