Ranunculus amphitrichus Colenso

Ranunculus amphitrichus Colenso, commonly called small river buttercup, is an aquatic perennial plant.

Stem Characteristics

Its stems grow out from leaf clusters, and are either smooth or sparsely covered in soft, weak, thin hairs.

Leaf Characteristics

Its leaves are glossy green, roughly circular, between 1 and 10 cm (0.39–3.94 in) across, and lobed; the leaves sometimes float, and their petioles measure 5–24 cm (2.0–9.4 in) long.

Flower Stems

Yellow flowers develop on stems that are either simple or branched, with these stems reaching 7–35 cm (2.8–13.8 in) long.

Petal Features

Flowers usually have five petals, which are narrowly oblanceolate or oblong and wedge-shaped at the base; petals are 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and 0.8–1.8 mm (0.031–0.071 in) wide.

Flowering Period

This species flowers from December to March.

Fruit Characteristics

Its fruit is a green achene that is densely covered with soft, weak hairs.

Habitat

This plant grows in shallow water within swamps, lakes, and slow-flowing streams.

Distribution

Its known distribution includes Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and New Zealand.