catclaw buttercup

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• catclaw buttercup

Scientific Names

Accepted name

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 identified by its genus, Ranunculus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily found across various regions of Eastern Asia. Its distribution includes specific areas within Japan, such as the Nansei-shoto islands. It also inhabits the Korean peninsula and other parts of Eastern Asia. Within China, the species can be located in both the South-Central and Southeast regions. Consequently, its range spans a diverse set of locations across these East Asian territories.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Ranunculus ternatus is characterized by its classification as an annual plant, meaning it completes its entire developmental cycle—from germination to seed production and death—within a single growing season. The life cycle begins with the germination of seeds in suitable moist habitats, followed by a period of vegetative growth where the plant establishes its characteristic foliage. As the season progresses, the individual undergoes a transition from vegetative development to a reproductive phase, culminating in the production of flowers and the subsequent maturation of seeds. Once the seeds are successfully dispersed to ensure the next generation, the parent plant reaches the end of its biological life cycle.

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Ranunculus ternatus is characterized by its growth form as a herb, specifically categorized as a forb. It exhibits a non-woody structure, lacking any significant lignified tissues throughout its development. In terms of its structural habit, the plant functions as a self-supporting climber, utilizing its growth pattern to maintain position without the need for external hosts, though it maintains the primary physical characteristics of a herbaceous plant.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Woodiness :

non-woody

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ranunculus ternatus is characterized by the development of specialized fruit structures that follow a highly consistent morphological pattern. The resulting fruits exhibit extreme uniformity in size, with a measured fruit length that remains constant across all observed specimens. Specifically, the fruit length displays a mean value of 0.15 cm, which is identical to both the minimum and maximum recorded dimensions. This lack of variance, with a fixed length of 0.15 cm, indicates a highly stabilized reproductive output during the fruiting stage of its life cycle.

Fruit length max:

0.15 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Ranunculus ternatus has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root.

Root

1. Organic letters

Chemicals

Ranunculus ternatus has 12 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 5-HYDROXYMETHYL-FURFURAL, Daucosterol, Esters, Flavonoids, Glycosides.

5-HYDROXYMETHYL-FURFURAL

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Daucosterol

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Esters

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Flavonoids

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Glycosides

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

PHILLYGENIN

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

STIGMASTEROL

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Sitosterol

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Sterols

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Ternatusine A

1. Organic letters

Activities

Ranunculus ternatus has 5 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Anticarcinogenic, Antiprotozoal, Hepatoprotective.

Antibacterial

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Antioxidant

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Anticarcinogenic

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiprotozoal

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Hepatoprotective

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology

Medicinal Uses

Ranunculus ternatus has 3 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, mycobacterium tuberculosis infections, tuberculosis.

Most Reported Uses