Bulbous buttercup

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• bulbous buttercup
• Bulbous Crowsfoot
• Cuckoo-buds
• St. Anthony's turnip

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Ranunculastrum bulbosum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Ranunculales, it is classified under the family Ranunculaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Ranunculus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range primarily concentrated within the northern regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, it can be found growing across the landscapes of Denmark and Finland. Its distribution also extends to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Furthermore, the species is documented to inhabit parts of Norway. Collectively, these locations highlight its preference for northern latitudes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ranunculus bulbosus is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and a broad altitudinal distribution. It thrives across an elevational range spanning from 600 m to a maximum of 4000 m AMSL, allowing it to inhabit both lowland and high-altitude alpine ecosystems. Its habitat preferences are highly varied, demonstrating a resilient nature that permits colonization of numerous landscapes including meadows, mountains, and shrubberies, as well as more disturbed or human-influenced areas such as crop fields and dumps. Furthermore, the species exhibits significant ecological plasticity by growing in unconventional substrates like sand, as well as in coastal environments such as sea and shores.

Elevational range max:

4000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

600 m AMSL

Habitat :

crop fields, dump, forest, meadows, mountains, sand, sea, shores, shrubberies

Life history

The life history of Ranunculus bulbosus is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist across multiple growing seasons. It functions primarily as a hemicryptophyte, a life form where the perennating buds are located at or just below the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or organic matter. Additionally, the plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage during unfavorable periods to conserve resources. This combination of a perennial habit, hemicryptophytic growth strategy, and deciduousness enables the species to navigate seasonal environmental shifts effectively.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Ranunculus bulbosus is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. The plant is a self-supporting organism, lacking any climbing or vine-like tendencies, and functions as an independent species without parasitic behavior. It is strictly a terrestrial plant, neither aquatic, semiaquatic, nor epiphytic in its natural habit. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant variation in size, with a minimum height of 0.15 m, a maximum height of 0.9 m, and a mean plant height of approximately 0.2375 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.9 m

Plant height mean:

0.2375 m

Plant height min:

0.15 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ranunculus bulbosus is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, typical of many temperate herbaceous species, which dictates its carbon fixation processes. The plant exhibits specific morphological adaptations in its foliage, with a mean leaf size of 10.81333 cm² and a mean leaf width of 8 cm, a value that also serves as its minimum and maximum width. The leaves can reach a maximum length of 10 cm. Furthermore, the plant possesses a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 181.41 cm²/g, reflecting its leaf mass per area and its resource allocation strategy. It is classified as a non-carnivorous organism, relying on standard nutrient uptake through its root system rather than insectivorous mechanisms.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

10 cm

Leaf size mean:

10.81333 cm²

Leaf width mean:

8 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

181.41 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ranunculus bulbosus is primarily sexual, characterized by bisexual flowers that facilitate efficient genetic exchange. The flowering period typically begins in April and extends through July, during which the plant utilizes a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on insects such as bees to facilitate fertilization. Self-fertilization is present within the species, ensuring reproductive success even in varying environmental conditions. Following pollination, the plant produces fruit in the form of an achene. These fruits are indehiscent, with an average length of 0.3 cm and an average width of 0.2 cm. Each fruit is prolific, containing between 101 and 1000 seeds. The seeds themselves are uniform in size, with a consistent length of approximately 3 mm and a mean mass of 0.00238725 g (ranging from a minimum of 0.0014 g to a maximum of 0.002566 g). Dispersal is achieved through an unspecialized strategy, with evidence of epizoochory, where seeds or fruits attach to passing animals to facilitate spread. Notably, asexual reproduction is absent in this species, making its sexual cycle the sole method of propagation.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

epizoochorous

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit length mean:

0.3 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Fruit width mean:

0.2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

3 mm

Seed mass max:

0.002566 g

Seed mass mean:

0.00238725 g

Seed mass min:

0.0014 g

Seeds_per_fruit :

101-1000

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Ranunculus bulbosus has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Anemonin, Protoanemonin, Ranunculin.

Anemonin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Protoanemonin

1. Dr. Duke

Ranunculin

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Ranunculus bulbosus has 27 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Amebicide, Antibacterial, Antibiotic, Antileukemic, Antimitotic.

Amebicide

1. Dr. Duke

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke

Antibiotic

1. Dr. Duke

Antileukemic

1. Dr. Duke

Antimitotic

1. Dr. Duke

Antimotility

1. Dr. Duke

Antimutagenic

1. Dr. Duke

Antipyretic

1. Dr. Duke

Antiseptic

1. Dr. Duke

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke

Preparations

Ranunculus bulbosus has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include tincture.

Tincture

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology