Ranunculus fluitans
| Ranunculus fluitans | |
|---|---|
| File:Ranunculus fluitans.jpg | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Ranunculus |
| Species: | R. fluitans
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ranunculus fluitans | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Ranunculus fluitans (the river water-crowfoot,[3]) is a species of buttercup. It is a perennial water plant, which when in favourable conditions (such as fast flowing water,[4]) can grow up to 6 m (20 ft) height.[5]
Description
[edit | edit source]Ranunculus fluitans has no floating leaves, instead it has long and narrow, tassel-like segments. Reaching up to 30 cm (12 in) long. The long, slender stems can have up to two flower stems. The white flowers are held above the water level, they are around 2–3 cm across. They are daisy-like, with 6–8 overlapping petals around a central yellow area. It blooms in June, then the rounded seed heads become hairless fruits.[4] It is similar in form to Ranunculus trichophyllus (thread-leaved water-crowfoot), principal differences being flower petal number- thread-leaved has only 5 petals and shorter leaves- and different preferred habitat- thread-leaved prefers slower flowing waters.[4]
Taxonomy
[edit | edit source]It was formally described by the French naturalist and botanist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in his book 'Flore françoise' Vol.3 on page 184 in 1779.[2][6]
The species epithet fluitans is Latin for floating.[7]
Distribution
[edit | edit source]It is endemic to western Europe.[1]
Range
[edit | edit source]It can be found in North Macedonia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, southern Sweden, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Spain and Italy.[1] It grows in fast flowing waters of the UK, within England, Scotland and Wales.[4]
Ecology
[edit | edit source]
A Ranunculus fluitans community or Ranunculion fluitantis, defines a British plant community comprising stands of submerged vegetation dominated by clumps of crowfoot.[5] It is thought to be vulnerable in Sweden and near threatened in Switzerland, but elsewhere it is widespread and abundant.[1]
Culture
[edit | edit source]
William Barnes (1801–1886) an English writer, poet and Church of England priest, referred to the plant in his poem 'The Water Crowfoot'.
O small feac'd flow'r that now dost bloom
To stud wi'white the shallow Frome,
An' leave the clote to spread his flow'r
On darksome pools o' stwoneless Stour.[8]
This refers to the River Frome's being at danger from man's interference.[4]
References
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- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c d e Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b J. S. Rodwell; British Plant Communities: Woodlands and Scrub Cambridge University Press, 1990 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Archibald William Smith A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins, p. 140, at Google Books
- ^ S. Gatrell Thomas Hardy's Vision of Wessex, p. 68, at Google Books
External links
[edit | edit source]- Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
- File:Wikispecies-logo.svg Data related to Ranunculus fluitans at Wikispecies
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- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Ranunculus
- Flora of Europe
- Flora of the United Kingdom
- Flora of Sweden
- Flora of Germany
- Flora of Poland
- Flora of Switzerland
- Flora of Austria
- Flora of the Czech Republic
- Flora of Slovenia
- Flora of Slovakia
- Flora of Hungary
- Flora of Italy
- Least concern plants
- Plants described in 1779