de Lange & Murray—Ranunculus ranceorum nom. nov.

New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

Ranunculus ranceorum, a new name and rank for Ranunculus recens var. lacustris G.Simpson, an elusive, rarely seen buttercup of the Fiordland lakes, South Island, New Zealand

P. J. de Lange

Terrestrial Conservation Unit
Department of Conservation
Private Bag 68908
Newton
Auckland 1145, New Zealand
pdelange@doc.govt.nz

B. G. Murray

School of Biological Sciences
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142, New Zealand

Abstract Ranunculus recens var. lacustris, an uncommon lake turf endemic of the Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand, is elevated to species rank as Ranunculus ranceorum nom. nov. The species is distinguished from R. recens by its restriction to inland, montane lake turfs, distinct morphology (smaller size, glabrescent foliage, fine, cobwebby hairs without tuberculate bases, deltoid to rhomboid leaves that are often entire or 3-lobed with usually entire broadly obtuse segments, smaller, solitary or paired flowers, smaller oblong to obovoid, pale cream-brown achenes), and distinctive chromosome number (2n = 32, 32 + fragments in R. ranceorum cf. 2n = 48 in R. recens). The conservation status and chromosome variation of R. ranceorum is discussed. Ranunculus recens remains a variable species, especially with respect to leaf colour. However, aside from leaf colour, which seems to have a genetic basis, none of the other reported differences proved stable in cultivation under uniform conditions. For these reasons, further taxonomic segregation of R. recens is not advised.

Keywords Ranunculaceae; typification; taxonomy; Ranunculus; R. recens; R. recens var. lacustris; R. recens var. recens; R. ranceorum nom. nov.; chromosome number and variation; New Zealand flora

B07041; Online publication date 25 February 2008; Received 5 September 2007; accepted 26 November 2007

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