Sardinian buttercup

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Sardinian buttercup
• hairy buttercup
• pale hairy buttercup

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Batrachium intermedium
• Ranunculus hirsutus var. intermedius
• Ranunculus pseudohirsutus
• Ranunculus hirsutus var. parvulus
• Ranunculus sardous subsp. philonotis
• Ranunculus pseudobulbosus
• Ranunculus pedunculatus
• Ranunculus xatardii
• Ranunculus subtrifolius
• Ranunculus pallidior
• Ranunculus palensis
• Ranunculus pallidus
• Ranunculus hirsutus
• Ranunculus apioides
• Ranunculus aggregatus
• Ranunculus agrarius
• Ranunculus dulcis
• Ranunculus philonotis var. intermedius
• Ranunculus cornutus var. trachycarpus
• Ranunculus sardous subsp. xatardii
• Ranunculus sardous var. tuberculatus
• Ranunculus sardous subsp. intermedius
• Ranunculus sardous var. intermedius
• Ranunculus sardous var. macrocarpus
• Ranunculus sardous var. pseudotrachycarpus
• Ranunculus sardous subsp. laevis
• Ranunculus sardous subsp. subdichotomicus
• Ranunculus philonotis var. parvulus
• Ranunculus sardous var. hirsutus
• Ranunculus sardous var. littoralis
• Ranunculus sardous var. parvulus
• Ranunculus philonotis f. pinnatifidus
• Ranunculus philonotis var. parvulus
• Ranunculus parvulus
• Notophilus vulgaris

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 and the genus Ranunculus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across several regions in Northern Europe. Its presence can be documented throughout the various landscapes of Denmark and Finland. Additionally, the species is found inhabiting parts of Great Britain. The natural range also extends northward into the territories of Norway. Finally, the distribution concludes with its occurrence within Sweden.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ranunculus sardous is primarily defined by its preference for lowland environments, where it establishes itself within specific niche conditions. These low-lying areas typically provide the necessary hydrological and soil profiles required for its growth, often characterized by moist or seasonally wet substrates. In these lowland habitats, the plant interacts with local soil compositions and microclimates that support its life cycle, often appearing in meadows, pastures, or damp grasslands where sunlight availability and moisture levels are consistent with its physiological requirements. This preference for lowland territories influences its distribution patterns and its role within the local plant community, as it competes for resources and contributes to the biodiversity of these specific low-altitude ecosystems.

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Ranunculus sardous is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, the plant survives unfavorable periods through highly resistant seeds that remain dormant in the soil until conditions become favorable for growth. Its physical structure follows a deciduous pattern, where the aerial parts of the plant wither and die back after the reproductive phase is complete. This seasonal strategy allows the species to thrive in transient environments by rapidly utilizing available resources to reach maturity before the onset of adverse environmental conditions.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Ranunculus sardous is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. The plant is a self-supporting, independent species that does not function as a climber or a parasite, nor does it act as an epiphyte, maintaining a terrestrial habitat. Its shoots exhibit an ascending orientation, reaching a minimum height of 0.1 m, with a maximum height of 0.6 m, resulting in an average plant height of approximately 0.2335 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.6 m

Plant height mean:

0.2335 m

Plant height min:

0.1 m

Shoot orientation :

ascending

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ranunculus sardous is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway and a non-carnivorous nutritional strategy. Its foliar morphology displays significant variability, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 0.1 cm to a maximum of 8 cm, while leaf widths fluctuate between 0.12 cm and 6 cm, resulting in a mean leaf width of 8 cm. The leaves typically exhibit an elliptic form with a mean leaf size of 7.345 cm². Furthermore, the plant demonstrates a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 344.1 cm²/g, reflecting its resource allocation and leaf structural efficiency.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf length min:

0.1 cm

Leaf size mean:

7.345 cm²

Leaf width max:

6 cm

Leaf width mean:

8 cm

Leaf width min:

0.12 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

344.1 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ranunculus sardous is characterized by a flowering period that typically commences in May and concludes in August. During this time, the plant produces yellow flowers that measure between 0.7 cm and 1 cm in length, with a width ranging from 1.2 cm to 2.2 cm. The pollination process is biotic, specifically utilizing an insect syndrome with a notable reliance on bees. While the plant is capable of self-fertilization, it does not engage in asexual reproduction. Following successful pollination, the plant develops indehiscent fruits categorized as achenes. These fruits are relatively small, maintaining a mean length of 0.2 cm (ranging from 0.2 cm to 0.25 cm) and a mean width of 0.2 cm. The resulting seeds are uniform in size, with a consistent length of 3 mm and a mean mass of approximately 0.0012785 g (ranging from 0.00111 g to 0.00111 g). Dispersal of these seeds is considered unspecialized, lacking highly specific mechanisms for transport.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Flower colour :

yellow

Flower length max:

1 cm

Flower length min:

0.7 cm

Flower width max:

2.2 cm

Flower width min:

1.2 cm

Flowering time :

May

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit length max:

0.25 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.2 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Fruit width mean:

0.2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed length mean:

3 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00111 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0012785 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Ranunculus sardous has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Anemonin.

Anemonin

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Activities

Ranunculus sardous has 4 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticarcinogenic, Antioxidant, Antiprotozoal.

Antibacterial

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticarcinogenic

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiprotozoal

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)