Ranunculaceae Flora 5

Erect annual herb, 10–50 cm high; stem usually branched, sparsely villous towards base, glabrous above; leaves 2- or 3-pinnate, to 6 cm long, with linear, acute segments, glabrous. Flowers solitary, 15–25 mm diam., on peduncles 1–5 cm long, terminal on stem and branches; sepals appressed to spreading, ovate-oblong, 5–12 mm long, glabrous, dark purplish brown; petals 5–10, suberect, obovate, 7–15 mm long, longer than the sepals, usually yellow, rarely bright-red, with a black basal spot; stamens numerous; anthers dark-purple; carpels 10–50. Achenes 2.5–4 mm long, arranged in a ±cylindrical head 15–25 mm long, each with a short straight green beak, the upper projection on the inner margin close to the beak. Pheasants eye.

S.A.: *FR, *EP, *NL, *MU, *YP, *SL, *SE; *W.A.; *N.T.; *Qld.; *N.S.W; *Vic.; *Tas. Native to southern Europe. In S.A. it occurs as a weed mainly in barley and wheat fields in the NL and northern YP regions. Flowers: Aug.–Dec.

(Proclaimed plant in S.A.)

Dioecious strong woody climber to 15 m or more high; leaves ternate; leaflets ovate to deltate, 2.5–9 × 1–5 cm, serrate or sometimes entire, ± acute, usually glabrous. Flowers in numerous axillary panicles, to c. 7 cm in diam.; perianth segments usually 4, caducous, oblong-narrowly ovate, 1.3–3.5 cm long, pubescent below, densely white-tomentose at margin, glabrous above, creamy-white; stamens 4–15 mm long, filaments glabrous; anthers linear-oblong, 1.5–4 mm long, with a subulate appendage 1–3 mm long; staminodes present. Achenes compressed-ovoid 5–7 × 2–3.5 mm, shortly pubescent, rarely glabrous, smooth, brown, margins slightly thickened; style plumose, 2.8–2.8 cm long. Mountain clematis.

S.A.: SE; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Widespread in eastern Australia mostly in wetter montane forests, but extending to drier open forests. Flowers: Sep.–Jan.

(Vulnerable status in S.A.)

Dioecious woody climber to 5 m high; leaves flammuliform, usually with 12–15 leaflets; leaflets narrow-ovate to lanceolate, entire or deeply 3-sect, terminal leaflet 12–45 × 1.5–5 (–11) mm, mucronate to emarginate, glabrescent. Flowers in axillary and terminal panicles, to c. 6 cm in diam.; perianth segments usually 4, linear-lanceolate, 2–3 cm long, pubescent below, white-tomentose at margin, glabrous above, pale green to creamy-white; stamens 1.5–5 mm long, filaments glabrous, white; anthers elliptic to ovate, 0.5–1 mm long, without an appendage; staminodes present. Achenes compressed-ovoid 4–5 × c. 2.5 mm, glabrous or with short, sparse hairs, light brown, margins corky; style plumose, 1.5–3.5 cm long.

S.A.: NW, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, SL, KI, SE; NT; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Widespread in eastern Australia often in drier inland forests and woodlands, but also in wetter near-coastal forests. Flowers: Jul.–Oct.

Strong deciduous climber with a woody base, 3–5 m high; leaves biternate or flammuliform with 9–15 leaflets, rarely more; leaflets broadly ovate to narrowly oblong, 1.5–4 cm long, entire or sometimes 2- or 3-lobed, acute to obtuse, ± coriaceous, glabrescent. Flowers many in large axillary and terminal panicles, bisexual, to c. 3 cm in diam., fragrant; perianth segments usually 4, oblong, 8–14 mm long, glabrescent below, with narrow, white-tomentose margins, glabrous above, white; stamens 5–10 mm long, filaments glabrous; anthers linear, 3–4 mm long, obtuse, without an appendage; staminodes absent. Achenes strongly compressed, ovoid, 5–6 × 4–5 mm, appressed-pubescent to glabrous, dark brown with paler margins; style plumose, 2–5 mm long.

S.A.: *NL, *MU, *YP, *?SL; *Vic. Eurasia, north Africa. Native of southern Europe, the Mediterranean region and south-western Asia. Grown as an ornamental and questionably naturalised in the S.A. regions listed.

Dioecious woody climber to 5 m high; leaves flammuliform, triternate or incompletely quadriternate, with 18–36 or more leaflets or leaflet-segments; leaflets oblanceolate to obovate, entire or often deeply 3-lobed, often recurved at the margin, terminal leaflet 5–15 (–25) × 1–3 mm, acute to obtuse, mucronate to emarginate, glabrescent. Flowers in axillary and terminal panicles, to c. 4 cm in diam.; perianth segments usually 4, narrow-ovate to oblong, 1.2–2 cm long, short-pubescent below, glabrous above, creamy-white; stamens 2–6 mm long, filaments glabrous, white; anthers broadly elliptic, 0.4–1 mm long, without an appendage; staminodes present. Achenes compressed-ovoid 3.5–5 × 2–3 mm, glabrous, light brown, margins prominent, corky; style plumose, 1.8–3 cm long.

S.A.: FR, EP, YP, KI, SE; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic. Widespread but sporadic in eastern Australia, often in dry open forests and woodlands of rainshadow areas. Flowers: Jul.–Oct.

Dioecious woody climber to 5 m high; leaves mostly biternate with 9 (–12) leaflets; leaflets lanceolate-oblong, oblong or broad-ovate, 8–60 × 3–12 mm, entire or appearing toothed or lobed by incomplete division, usually obtuse, glabrous. Flowers in axillary and terminal panicles, to c. 5 cm in diam.; perianth segments usually 4, linear-lanceolate, 1.3–2.5 cm long, pubescent below, almost glabrous above, creamy-white; stamens 2–5.5 mm long, filaments glabrous, white; anthers ellipsoidal-obloid, 0.4–1 mm long, without an appendage; staminodes present. Achenes compressed-ovoid to compressed broadly ellipsoid, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, glabrous or with short, sparse hairs, light-brown, margins corky; style plumose, 3–5 cm long. Small-leaved clematis, old man’s beard.

S.A.: FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Widespread in eastern Australia in a wide variety of habitats including open forests, heathy woodlands and mallee scrublands. Flowers: Jul.–Oct.

Strong deciduous woody climber to 10 m high; leaves imparipinnate with 5, or occasionally 7, leaflets; leaflets ovate, 3–10 cm long, entire, lobed or remotely serrate, acute or acuminate, glabrous or slightly pubescent, more densely so on the veins. Flowers in terminal and axillary panicles, bisexual, c. 2 cm in diam., fragrant; perianth segments oblong, c. 1 cm long, obtuse, with silky hairs above and below, tomentose at the margin, greenish-white; stamens 5–8 mm long, filaments linear, glabrous; anthers oblong, 1–2 mm long, obtuse, without an appendage, staminodes absent. Achenes strongly compressed, ovoid, 3–5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, pubescent, dark brown; style plumose 2–4 cm long. Travellers joy.

S.A.: *EP, *NL, *SL; *Vic.; *Tas. Native of south, west and central Europe. Grown as an ornamental in gardens; escaped and naturalised, e.g. at Crafers. Flowers: Jan., Feb.

The species is an invasive weed in several countries; in New Zealand, it was declared an “unwanted organism”. Populations in S.A. should be monitored for their invasiveness.

Stems to 1 m high, simple or branched, pubescent, becoming glabrous; leaves glabrous or pubescent; basal leaves petiolate, to 10 cm long, with oblong segments; cauline leaves sessile, 1–6 cm long, with linear segments. Inflorescence usually racemose, occasionally paniculate; lower bracts dissected; bracteoles small, remote, usually not reaching base of flower; lower pedicels mostly more than 12 mm long in fruit, but less than twice as long as ripe follicle; sepals 10–14 (–20) mm long, usually deep blue, rarely purple, pink or white, spur 12–20 mm long; petals 3-lobed, with a bifid upper lobe. Follicle 15–25 mm long, c. 5 mm thick, gradually narrowed at apex, becoming erect on ripening, pubescent; seeds black. Eastern larkspur, rocket larkspur.

S.A.: *EP, *SL. Native to the Mediterranean region and widely introduced in Asia and North America; introduced to Australia as an ornamental garden plant occasionally escaping from cultivation in W.A., S.A., N.S.W. and Vic. Flowers: Dec.–Jan.

The name C. ambigua (syn. Delphinium ambiguum L.) has been misapplied widely in modern Australian State floras and check-lists.

Plants 3–15 (–20) cm high; leaves narrow-linear, 1–8 (–12) cm × 0.5–1.5 (–2.5) mm, sometimes slightly expanded above, usually withered in fruit. Scapes usually 2–30, 1–3 cm long at anthesis, elongating to c. 10 cm or more in fruit; sepals 1.5–4.5 mm long, yellowish green, caducous; spur 0.5–2 mm long; petals usually 3–5, sometimes absent, 1.5–3.5 mm long, pale yellow, caducous; nectary minute; stamens 5–10. Ripe fruiting spikes cylindric, 0.5–5 cm long, 1.5–2.5 mm thick, gradually narrowed to the apex; achenes typically 100–300 per spike, reddish brown, dorsally diamond-shaped to trullate, about 1–1.5 times as long as broad, 1–1.5 mm long, including the appressed, ascending, 0.2–0.6 mm long beak. Mousetail.

S.A.: NW, LE, GT, FR, EA, EP, YP, MU; W.A.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Widespread, mostly in moist places near inland watercourses. Flowers: Jul.–Nov.

The European and North American M. minimus differs in the shape of the back of the achenes which is elliptic or oblanceolate to oblong and twice or more as long as broad.

Stoloniferous perennial, usually partially or entirely submerged; leaves with lamina trifoliolate to palmatisect, 1–5 (–7) cm diam., ± circular in outline, glabrous; segments linear-oblong when deeply submerged, cuneate to obovate when aerial, 3-toothed or 3–many-lobed; petioles 1–15 cm long. Flowering stems 1–10 cm long, erect to spreading, 1–4-flowered; sepals 4 or 5, spreading (sometimes ± reflexed), broadly ovate, 2–3 mm long, glabrous; petals 4–9, oblong to narrowly obovate, 2–4 mm long; nectary a swollen crescentic pocket or bracket at about one-third petal length from base; stamens c. 10–18; pistils c. 6–15; receptacle hispid in stamen-zone, glabrous or with few hairs in achene-zone. Achenes sublenticular, 1.5–2 mm long, somewhat swollen, smooth or slightly wrinkled or warted; beak slender, straight or slightly curved, almost as long as achene-body. River buttercup, small river buttercup.

S.A.: FR, NL, MU, SL, KI, SE; W.A.; Vic.; N.S.W.; Tas. N.Z. Moderately common in swamps, pools and slow-flowing streams, of the south-east; recorded at 8 m depth near the Vic. border. Flowers: all months, mostly Oct.–Mar.

Stoloniferous perennial; basal leaves with lamina palmatisect, 5–13 cm diam., glabrous; ultimate segments 0.5–2 mm wide; petioles 5–45 cm long, glabrous. Flowering stems 10–30 cm high, 1–3-flowered, glabrous or pilose just below flowers; sepals 5, spreading, 3–6.5 mm long, glabrous or shortly ciliate near basal margin; petals 8–16, narrowly obovate to obovate, 5–13 mm long, yellow, obtuse or emarginate; nectary near petal base, c. 1 mm long, lobe rounded to truncate, free for up to 1/4 its length; stamens 20–45; pistils 25–45; receptacle shortly hirsute in stamen-zone, hairs scattered between achenes. Achenes ± lenticular, 2–4 mm long, lateral faces smooth or somewhat warty, sometimes indistinctly rippled; beak reflexed, c. 1/4–1/3 as long as achene-body.

S.A.: SE; Vic. A species of seasonal swamps and lake margins. Largely confined to south-western Victoria, from the southern Grampians to near Portland, with outliers c. 40 km north-east of Melbourne and near Glencoe in south-eastern S.A. Flowers: Oct.–Nov.

Plants may be partially submerged, but leaves and flowering stems usually emergent.

Erect, sparsely pilose annual; lower leaves with lamina obovate or broadly spathulate, 2–4 cm long; petioles 1.5–7 cm long; stem-leaves trifoliolate with obovate or linear-elliptical segments, these sometimes further 3-toothed or shallowly lobed. Flowering stems 15–60 cm high, 3–7 (–15)-flowered, pedicels with sparse, recurved hairs; sepals 5, spreading, ovate, 5–7 mm long, pale yellowish green, pilose beneath; petals 5, obovate, 7–10 mm long, bright lemon-yellow, margins minutely ciliate; nectary near petal-base, lobe cuneate or obovate, wider than petal just above its attachment, 1–2 mm long, free for up to half this length; stamens 10–12; pistils 6–12; receptacle hirsute. Achenes broadly obovate, 6–8 mm long, strongly flattened, lateral faces with prominent, almost spiny tubercles to 3 mm long, longer near margins; beak 2–3 mm long, erect, straight to falcate. Corn buttercup.

S.A.: *SE; *N.S.W.; *Tas. Native to north Africa, southern Europe and south-west Asia. Known in S.A. from a single record (1883) and probably not persisting. Flowers: Sep.–Oct. in other states.

Stoloniferous perennial; leaves with lamina trifoliolate, 0.5–2 cm long and wide, the 3 segments oblong to narrowly elliptic, entire or with 2 or 3 lobes or teeth; petioles 2–10 (–12) cm long. Flowering stems 1–10 cm long, 1 (–3)-flowered; sepals 5–8, spreading, ovate to broadly elliptic, 3–5 mm long, glabrous or sparsely pilose; petals oblong to obovate, 3–6.5 mm long, bright yellow; nectary near petal base, pocket-like, lobe c. 0.5 mm long, apex shallowly emarginate, truncate, or shortly rounded; stamens 15–30; pistils 6–30; receptacle sparsely hispid. Achenes flattened-obovoid, 1–1.8 mm long, the lateral faces smooth or finely wrinkled or obscurely ridged; beak slender, erect, c. 1 mm long.

S.A.: SE; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. A species of seasonal swamps and lake margins. Known in S.A. only from the Penola region (1977). Flowers: Sep.–Feb.

Erect or ascending perennial, to c. 80 cm high, glabrous or with scattered appressed hairs; mostly rooting at lower nodes; leaves mostly cauline, the lower with lamina narrow-elliptic to lanceolate, 1–6 (–12) cm × 2–15 (–30) mm, acute, entire or with a few small teeth; petioles to c. 10 cm long; upper leaves usually smaller, relatively narrower and (sub-) sessile. Inflorescence cymose, few–many-flowered; sepals 5, rarely 4, spreading, ovate to obovate, 2–4 mm long, appressed-hairy beneath; petals 5, obovate-cuneate, 4–8 mm long, pale yellow; nectary near petal base, lobe cuneate, truncate, c. 0.2 mm long, fused for entire length; stamens 25–40; pistils c. 10–50; receptacle glabrous. Achenes obovate, 1–2 mm long, smooth, minutely reticulate (under magnification), obscurely bordered, glabrous; beak minute, blunt. Lesser spearwort.

S.A.: *SL; *N.S.W.; *Vic.; *Tas. Native to NW Africa, Europe, Asia. A weed of swamps and creeklines. Recorded from few sites near Mt Lofty and the Fleurieu Peninsula. Flowers: Nov.–Mar.

Stoloniferous perennial; leaves with lamina trifoliolate or deeply palmatisect, ± orbicular in outline, 1–7 cm diam.; leaflets narrowly elliptic (rarely linear) to obovate-cuneate, usually deeply lobed, ultimate segments mostly 1–3 mm wide, glabrous or with few scattered hairs; petioles 1.5–16 cm long. Flowering stems erect, to c. 30 cm long, 1–3-flowered, usually appressed-hirsute; sepals 5, spreading, ovate, 4–8 mm long, appressed-hairy below; petals 5–15, oblanceolate to obovate, 5–11 mm long, golden-yellow; nectary near petal-base, pocket like, ± 0.5–1 mm long, apex of lobe shallowly emarginate or sinuate, often asymmetric, margins excurrent; stamens 12–50; pistils 9–15; receptacle glabrous. Achenes inflated, subglobular or broadly obovate, 2.7–4 mm long, the lateral faces with 3–4 broad, oblique ridges; beak erect or reflexed, c. 1.5 mm long. Shining buttercup.

S.A.: SE; Vic.; Tas. N.Z. A species of seasonally damp or inundated areas. Uncommon, known from a few sites in the far SE, and a 1907 record from Bridgewater. Flowers: Sep.–Jan.

(Vulnerable in S.A.)

Slender annual, 3–25 cm high; stems simple or branching from base; ± densely pilose at least near base: adult leaves with lamina reniform to ± semiorbicular in outline, 5–25 mm long, deeply trifid, median segment entire or coarsely 3-dentate, lateral segments 2-lobed, each up to 3-toothed; petioles 1–6 cm long; lower pedicels (when fruiting) 7–30 mm. Flowers, at least the upper ones, subsessile; pedicels (in fruit) to 30 mm; sepals 3, spreading 2–2.5 mm long, pilose below; petals 0–2, oblong, c. 2–2.25 mm long, 1-nerved, but this usually forked toward apex; nectary-scale above middle of petal, minute, semielliptic to semiorbicular; stamens 4 or 5; pistils 10–17; receptacle glabrous. Achenes obliquely ovate, 3–5 mm long, virtually flat, ± stipitate, margin thickened, smooth, lateral faces with 15–20 long bristles each terminated by a short curved hair; beak triangular, slightly curved, up to half total achene length, terminating in a short hook.

S.A.: LE, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, SL. Occurs in shady humid places, often between rocks. Flowers: Jul.–Sep.

Endemic to S.A.

Stoloniferous perennial; basal leaves with lamina palmatisect, 1–5 cm diam., glabrous or with few hairs beneath; ultimate segments 0.5–2 mm wide; petioles 1–15 cm long, ± glabrous. Flowering stems 5–30 cm high, 1–3-flowered, glabrous, ± pilose at base; sepals 5, spreading to reflexed, 2–3.5 mm long, glabrous; petals 5–12, narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, 4–10 mm long, yellow, obtuse; nectary near petal base, c. 1 mm long, lobe obtuse, often oblique, free for half to two-thirds of its length; stamens 20–30; pistils 20–45; receptacle shortly hirsute in stamen-zone, subglabrous between achenes. Achenes ± lenticular, 1.5–1.8 mm long, lateral faces almost smooth or irregularly warty; beak reflexed, about half to two-thirds as long as achene-body. River buttercup.

S.A.: MU, SL, KI, SE; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic. Usually in shallow water and with leaves either floating or submerged, rarely on wet ground. Flowers: Sep.–Jan.

Rare in S.A. known from a few sites on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and near the Victorian border.

Tufted perennial; roots fibrous to, rarely, fleshy-subtuberous; leaves mostly basal, lamina ovate to deltoid in outline, 1.5–8 (–11) cm long and wide, ternate (at least the later ones), to biternately lobed, leaflets usually deeply dissected or lobed, longer than wide, the central leaflet distinctly longer stalked than the lateral leaflets, appressed-hirsute, sometimes with well developed petiolules; petioles 2–30 cm long with spreading and/or appressed hairs. Flowering stems 4–70 (–170) cm high, (1–) 2–10-flowered, with spreading and/or appressed hairs; sepals 5, spreading, elliptic, 4–7 (–10) mm long, hairy below; petals 5, obovate-cuneate, 7–17 (–22) mm long, obtuse, bright yellow; nectary near petal base, lobe cuneate, c. 1–2.8 mm long, free for most its length; stamens 40–110; pistils 20–50; receptacle glabrous in stamen-zone, hirsute above. Achenes lenticular, obovate-cuneate, 1.7–3.5 mm long, margin narrowly ridged, lateral faces smooth or dimpled; beak slender, 0.8–1.8 mm long, arched, tip recoiled. Common buttercup, Australian buttercup.

S.A.: LE, FR, EP, NL, MU, SL, SE; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Occurs in southern Eyre Peninsula, southern Flinders Ranges, Fleurieu Peninsula and the far south-east, mainly in moist sites, e.g. swamp margins, shaded forest and woodlands. Flowers: Jul.–Dec.

Suberect or spreading annual, glabrous to pilose; basal leaves with lamina ± orbicular, ± cordate, 1.5–5 cm long, with 3–5 shallow rounded coarsely crenate-dentate lobes; petioles 5–15 cm long; upper cauline leaves ± cuneate, with 3 narrow, entire or toothed segments. Flowering stems 10–50 cm high, 1–10-flowered; sepals 5, strongly reflexed, ovate, c. 5 mm long, sparsely pilose below; petals 5, obovate, 7–9 mm long, slightly longer than sepals, yellow; nectary near petal base, lobe obovate to cuneate, 1–2 mm long, free for up to half this length; stamens 15–20; pistils 8–20; receptacle pubescent. Achenes broadly obovate, 5–8 mm long, flattened, brown with a green, strongly keeled and grooved, smooth margin, faces with numerous, acute tubercles c. 1 mm long (rarely the faces almost smooth); beak stout, 2–3 mm long, nearly straight. Sharp buttercup, burr (or prickle-fruit) buttercup.

S.A.: *FR, *EP, *NL, *MU, *SL, *SE; *W.A.; *Qld; *N.S.W.; *Vic.; *Tas. Native to northern Africa, Europe and west Asia, widely naturalized. A weed of damp sites, e.g. agricultural areas, ditches, parks and lawns. Fairly common in Adelaide area, otherwise scattered from southern Flinders Range south-east to the Victorian border. Flowers: Aug.–Dec.

Erect or ascending annual to c. 50 cm high, often rooting from lower nodes, glabrous or with few appressed hairs; leaves mostly cauline, the lower ones with lamina ovate or suborbicular, to c. 40 × 20 mm, sometimes cordate at base; petioles to c. 12 cm long; upper leaves narrow-elliptic, to 65× 10 mm, shortly petiolate, becoming smaller and ± sessile above; all entire or obscurely callous-toothed. Inflorescence cymose, of few to many flowers; sepals 4 or 5, spreading or slightly recurved, ovate to obovate, 2–4 mm long, with appressed hairs beneath; petals obovate-cuneate, 2.5–4.5 mm long, pale yellow; nectary near petal-base, lobe broad, triangular or retuse, c. 0.2 mm long, free; stamens c. 6–10; pistils 20–50; receptacle glabrous. Achenes flattened-ovoid, 1.5–2 mm long, obscurely bordered, faces granular to tuberculate; beak ± triangular, 0.5–1 mm long. Snake-tongue buttercup.

S.A.: *SE; *Vic. Native to north Africa, Europe and western Asia. Currently known only from the Penola-Millicent area. Aquatic or semi-aquatic weed of swamps, lagoons etc.

Tufted perennial; roots often subtuberous, tapering distally; leaves mostly basal, lamina ovate to elliptic in outline, 0.8–4.5 cm long and wide, 3-lobed to deeply ternately dissected, the segments acutely toothed or further lobed, with soft subappressed hairs; petioles 1–12 cm long, with spreading or subappressed hairs. Flowering stems 5–20 (–40) cm high, 1–5-flowered, hairs spreading near base, usually appressed above; sepals 5, spreading, ovate to obovate, 3–7 mm long, with spreading hairs below; petals 5, obovate-cuneate, 6–15 mm long, golden-yellow; nectary near petal-base, lobe oblong to cuneate, 1–2 mm long, free for c. half its length; stamens 25–45; pistils 15–30; receptacle glabrous in stamen-zone, pubescent above. Achenes globular or plumply obovoid-cuneate, 2.5–5 mm long, lateral faces smooth, often with shallow dorsal groove; beak 1.5–2 mm long, recurved or straight with recurved tip. Thick-fruited buttercup.

S.A.: FR, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE; N.S.W.; Vic. Locally common in woodlands of rocky sites in river valleys and in seasonally wet sites on sandy or clay substrates. Flowers: Jul.–Nov.

Sometimes growing with the similar R. robertsonii and plants of apparently hybrid origin may occur in these areas.

Stoloniferous perennial; leaves with lamina trifoliolate, sometimes appearing digitate due to deep division of lateral segments, 1.5–5 cm long and wide; segments cuneate to narrow elliptic, 2–6 (–12) mm wide, each with 3–5 lobes or teeth, rarely entire, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs above, sparingly pilose below; petioles 4–25 cm long. Flowering stems 10–30 cm long, erect, 2–4-flowered, ± pilose under the flowers and glabrescent below; sepals 5 (6), spreading, ovate to oblong, ± 5 mm long, ± shortly hispid below, rarely glabrous; petals 5–15, elliptic to oblanceolate, 7–12 mm long, yellow; nectary near petal-base, ± 0.5 mm long, pocket-like, apex emarginate or truncate, or a short rounded lobe developed; stamens 15–40; pistils 20–50; receptacle sparsely hispid in achene zone. Achenes obliquely obovoid to broadly cuneoid, 1.7–3.6 mm long, lateral faces smooth, irregularly warty or undulate; beak slender, erect to reflexed, 0.8–2.4 mm long. Large river-buttercup.

S.A.: MU, SL, SE; N.S.W.; Vic. At swamp and river margins, scattered from the southern Fleurieu Peninsula to the Vic. border near Penola. Flowers: Dec.-Jan.

(Vulnerable in S.A.)

Decumbent to ascending annual, sparsely to densely pilose; basal leaves with lamina orbicular-reniform, 1.5–4 cm diam., palmately 3–5-lobed, lobes coarsely toothed, hairy on both surfaces; petioles 3–10 cm long; cauline leaves similar, but lobes often narrower; uppermost leaves often entire, ± sessile. Flowering stems 10–40 cm high, 2–10-flowered; sepals 4 or 5, reflexed, ovate, c. 2 mm long, densely pilose below; petals 2–5, obovate, 2–3 mm long, pale yellow; nectary near petal-base, lobe ± ovate, c. 0.4 mm long, free above midway; stamens 5–8; pistils 6–24; receptacle glabrous. Achenes orbicular-ovate, 2.5–3 mm long, brown with paler, keeled narrow margin, faces ± evenly covered with short tubercles, each terminated by a short hooked bristle; beak triangular or hooked at apex, c. 0.5 mmm long. Small-flowered buttercup.

S.A.: *NL, *SL, *SE; *N.S.W. (also Lord Howe Is., Norfolk Is); *Vic; *Tas. N.Z. Native to north Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. Typically a weed of ditches, depressions, wet pasture, etc., but in S.A. currently known only from Mt Lofty Ranges and the far south-east near Mt Gambier. Flowers: Nov. (1 record).

Slender ± erect annual, 2–40 cm high, glabrous or sparingly pilose; stems usually branched from base; adult lower leaves with lamina trifoliolate, 0.7–2.5 cm long, leaflets ternately dissected into narrow-lanceolate to nearly linear lobes; petioles 1.5–5 cm long. Lower flowers usually pedicellate with fruiting pedicels to 3 cm long, upper flowers subsessile; sepals 3–5, elliptic to obovate-oblong, 1.7–2 mm long; petals 1 or 2, elliptic to obovate-spathulate, 1.5–2 mm long, whitish; nectary near middle of petal, lobe ± semicircular, c. 0.2 mm long; stamens 3–5; pistils 6–20; receptacle glabrous. Achenes suborbicular to broadly ovate, 2–4 mm long, strongly flattened, often twisted, margins smooth, slightly thickened, pale reddish brown; beak triangular, 0.3–1 mm long. Smooth buttercup.

Achenes with lateral faces mostly smooth and glabrous, rarely with up to 10 small tubercles and these with or without a microscopic hooked bristle.

S.A.: LE; Qld; N.S.W. Confined to north-western S.A. and rather rare (Pandie Pandie area). Generally a species of floodplains or watercourses and their immediate environs. Flowers: Aug.

Achenes with c. 20 or more short conical tubercles over the central part of each face, each tubercle terminated by a recurved hair or bristle.

S.A.: NW, LE, GT, FR, EA, EP, MU, SL; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic. Mainly in the vicinity of inland watercourses and other areas prone to inundation. Flowers: June–Sep.

Slender annual, 1–40 cm high, ± densely pilose, at least in lower part; stems branched from base; adult leaves with lamina trifoliolate or palmatisect, 0.5–2.5 cm long, the ultimate lobes lanceolate to linear acute, mostly 0.5–1.5 mm wide; petioles 1–7.5 cm long. Flowers generally pedicellate (upper flowers sometimes sessile); pedicels 3–15 mm long (to 5 cm in fruit); sepals 3–5, elliptic to obovate, c. 2 mm long; petals 2–4, ovate-spathulate, 1.5–2 mm long, yellow; nectary lobe above middle, minute, semi elliptic or triangular; stamens 4–6; pistils 10–25; receptacle glabrous. Achenes suborbicular, biconvex, 1.5–2 mm long; beak ± triangular, obtuse or minutely hooked, c. 0.2 mm long. Smallflower buttercup, ferny buttercup.

Sepals 3, or very rarely, 4. Achenes with lateral faces smooth and glabrous.

S.A.: FR, EA, MU, SE; N.S.W.; Vic. Scattered from the northern Flinders Range to the Vic. border near Bordertown. Flowers: Jul.–Oct.

Largely co-extensive with var. pumilio but much rarer. Although vegetatively indistinguishable from var. pumilio, the consistent differences in fruit and sepal number suggest it could warrant recognition as a distinct species.

(Vulnerable in S.A., presumed extinct in MU.)

Sepals 5. Achenes with lateral faces ± densely covered with 20 or more (usually c. 50) minute tubercles, each terminated by a short, stiff, curved or appressed hair; hairs distinctly longer than subtending tubercles.

S.A.: NW, LE, GT, EA, EP, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE; W.A.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic. Reasonably common on fringes of swamps, lakes, watercourses and areas prone to inundation. Flowers: Aug.–Nov.

Stoloniferous perennial; stolons rooting at nodes; basal leaves very variable, lamina triangular-ovate, 2–15 cm long, trifoliolate, sometimes ± variegated; leaflets petiolulate, broadly ovate, entire and irregularly toothed, or further ± ternately (sometimes ± biternately) dissected, subsericeous (rarely), pilose or ± glabrous; petioles 2–35 cm long; uppermost stem-leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, entire. Flowering stems 15–75 cm high, 1–3 (–5)-flowered, pilose to subsericeous; sepals 5, appressed or spreading, ovate to broad-elliptic, 5–8 mm long, pubescent below; petals usually 5, broadly obovate, 6–15 mm long, yellow, glossy; nectary near petal-base, lobe obovate to cuneate, 1–2 mm long, free for most of this length; stamens 35–75; pistils c. 20–50; receptacle hispid. Achenes ± orbicular, 2.5–3.5 mm long, strongly laterally compressed, glabrous, finely punctulate, distinctly margined; beak c. 1 mm long, straight or curved. Creeping buttercup.

S.A.: *NL, *SL, *SE; *Qld; *N.S.W.; *Vic.; *Tas. Native to north Africa, Europe and Asia. Localised, but locally well established (Pt Pirie, Adelaide and Millicent areas), mostly damp roadsides, paddocks, margins of ponds, etc. Flowers: Oct.–Dec.

Tufted perennial; roots tuberous, abruptly tapered; leaves mostly basal, lamina ovate to deltoid in outline, 12–25 mm long, deeply trifid to ternately or biternately dissected, or commonly trifoliolate with narrowly trifid or further divided leaflets, ultimate lobes lanceolate to narrowly linear, acute; petioles 1–9 cm long with short appressed hairs. Flowering stem 5–25 cm high, 1–3-flowered, hairs appressed; sepals 5, spreading, ± ovate, 3–5.5 mm long, hirsute below, rarely glabrous; petals 5, obovate-cuneate, 8–14 mm long, bright yellow; nectary near petal-base, lobe cuneate, 1.5–2 mm long, truncate or emarginate, free for c. half its length; stamens 30–35; pistils 15–35; receptacle glabrous in stamen-zone, hirsute above. Achenes lenticular to obcuneate, 1.1–1.5 mm long, margins usually thickened, often with short irregular intersecting ribs; lateral faces irregularly dimpled, beak slender, 0.9–1.2 mm long, straight, tip recurved. Slender buttercup.

S.A.: SE; Vic. Mostly in low-lying sites, sometimes slightly saline, on sandy soils. Flowers: Aug.–Oct.

See note under R. pachycarpus.

(Rare in S.A., between c. Padthaway, Mt Gambier and the Vic. border.)

Erect, pilose to subglabrous annual, tufted or rarely developing short stolons in very wet sites; basal leaves with lamina triangular-ovate in outline, 2–8 cm long, deeply 3-lobed or trifoliolate, sometimes distinctly petiolulate; leaflets irregularly cut or toothed or crenate; petioles 6–32 cm long; cauline leaves shortly stalked or sessile and less divided. Flowering stem 5–18-flowered, hollow, 10–50 cm high; sepals 5, reflexed, ovate, 4–7 mm long; petals 5, obovate, 8–14 mm long, pale yellow; nectary near petal-base, lobe obovate to cuneate, c. 1 mm long, attached only at base; stamens c. 40–60; pistils 30–40; receptacle hairy. Achenes in slightly elongated head, flattened, suborbicular, 2–2.5 mm long, greenish brown, faces with small obtuse tubercles near green margin, rarely smooth or evenly tuberculate; beak c. 0.5 mm long, curved upwards.

S.A.: *SL; *N.S.W.; *Vic.; *Tas. Native to north Africa, Europe and western Asia. Collected from wet pasture and swamps near Adelaide (1968), Mt Compass (1986) and Nangkita (1991), and locally abundant in suitable seasons. Flowers: Oct.–Dec. (3 records).

Erect semi-aquatic annual 20–80 cm high, glabrous or with scattered soft hairs; stem stout, hollow, ridged, branched above; lower leaves with lamina broadly ovate to reniform, cordate, 2–8 cm long, palmately 3–5-lobed, lobes obovate-cuneate, shallowly 3-lobed and crenate; petioles 2–30 cm long; upper leaves sessile, deeply trifid with ± oblong segments, or simple. Inflorescence cymose, usually many-flowered; sepals 5, reflexed, obovate, 2–4 mm long, pilose beneath; petals 5, narrowly ovate to broadly obovate, 3–4 mm long, pale yellow; nectary near petal-base, a ± circular pit c. 0.5 mm diam., lacking a covering lobe or flap; stamens usually c. 20; pistils very numerous (up to c. 700); receptacle hairy. Achenes in an elongated head, glabrous, flattened-obovoid, c. 1 mm long; beak minute. Celery buttercup.

S.A.: *MU, *SE; *W.A.; *Qld; *N.S.W.; *Vic.; *Tas. Native to north Africa, Europe and western to central Asia. Locally common in wetlands associated with the Murray River (Chowilla, Murray Bridge areas), with an isolated record from Comaum Forest against the Vic. border in the south-east. Flowers: Nov.–Apr.

Poisonous to stock. The elongated fruiting head and abundant small achenes are distinctive. The common name reflects its superficial vegetative appearance to Celery.

(Proclaimed weed in S.A.)

Slender annual, 2–35 cm high, sparingly to ± densely pilose on lower part; stems usually branched near base; adult leaves with lamina palmatisect or trifoliolate, 4–15 mm long, the median segment 3-dentate, the lateral ± 2-fid with 3 or 4 teeth to each lobe; petioles 2–5 cm long. Flowers leaf-opposed, sessile or nearly so, the lower ones occasionally shortly pedicellate with fruiting pedicels to 1.5 cm long; sepals 3 or 4, oblong to elliptic, c. 2 mm long, pilose below; petals 0–2, elliptic- to linear-spathulate, 1–2 mm long; nectary lobe above the middle, minute, ± triangular, obtuse; stamens 3–6; pistils 6–20; receptacle glabrous. Achenes suborbicular to obovate, 1.3–2.5 mm long, virtually flat, the lateral faces each bearing 7–25 conical tubercles terminated by a recurved bristle; beak short-triangular, 0.3–0.5 (–1) mm long, ± acute. (Australian) smallflower buttercup.

Leaves deeply ternately, biternately or triternately divided with ultimate segments linear to narrow-lanceolate.

S.A.: FR, EP, NL (apparently now extinct), MU, YP, KI, SE; W.A.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic. Largely co-extensive with, but absent from the drier part of the range of the typical variety, much less common generally. Flowers: June–Sep.

(Vulnerable in S.A.)

Leaves palmate or palmatifid with ultimate segments cuneate (but apically toothed) to flabelliform.

S.A.: NW, LE, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE; W.A.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Widespread and reasonably common from the Gawler Range eastwards, with isolated outliers near Mt Lindsay in the far NW and Innamincka near the Qld border. In drier parts of the range largely confined to depressions, gullies etc., but in wetter eastern sites, frequent in a range of sites following rains. Flowers: Mainly Sep.–Oct.

Aquatic annual or perennial herb; stems hollow, rooting at lower nodes; petioles 0.25–4 cm long, with membranous, stipule-like wings at base; leaf lamina globose to obconical, 1.5–4.5 cm long, repeatedly di- or trichotomously divided into rigid or flaccid capillary segments, which spread in 3 dimensions, lobed leaves absent; basal sheath oblong to ovate, adnate to petiole for c. 2/3 of their length. Peduncles 1–5 cm long, placing the flowers above the water surface, usually recurved after anthesis; sepals narrow-ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm long, spreading, caducous, greenish and blue-tipped; petals ovate to obovate, 3.5–5.5 mm long, white with a yellow claw; nectary-scale lunate; receptacle globular, hairy; stamens 9–15; carpels 16–33, hairy when immature, occasionally glabrous when mature. Achenes ovoid to obovoid, 1.5–2 mm long, transversely rugose, usually sparsely hairy; beak subterminal, very short. Water buttercup, water fennel.

S.A.: FR, ?EP, NL, MU, SL, KI, .SE; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Native to Europe, Asia and central N America, possibly introduced in Australia. In S.A. in fresh-water ponds and slow streams. Flowers: Oct.–Feb.

The Australian specimens seem to match European material more closely than specimens from N.Z., which have glabrous achenes. There is, however, considerable variation within Australia, which appears to be both genotypical and caused by different habitat conditions. The presence of many 19^th century Australian collections, as well as collections from remote, relatively pristine habitats, suggests that the species is probably native. The record on EP is based on only one collection from 1875 (Pt Lincoln, MEL); no new collections from the area are known.

Erect, tufted or slightly spreading annual, glabrous or sparsely pilose; first basal leaves with lamina suborbicular, 1–4 cm long, entire or shallowly ternately divided, later leaves deeply ternately dissected to trifoliolate, segments cuneate-obovate, dentate or more deeply lobed; petioles 2–10 cm long, sparsely hairy; upper cauline leaves and bracts usually with linear-oblong segments. Flowering stems 20–80 cm high, several–many-flowered; sepals 5, ovate, 3–5 mm long, reflexed, glabrous or sparsely pilose beneath; petals (3–) 4–5, elliptic to obovate, 4–8 mm long, golden-yellow; nectary virtually at petal-base, lobe cuneate to obovate, 0.5–1 mm long, free for more than half this length; stamens 10–20; pistils 18–50; receptacle hispid. Achenes in a slightly elongated head, ovate-orbicular, 2.5–3.5 mm long, compressed, faces brown, with many small conical-hemispherical tubercles, margins narrowly keeled, green; beak narrowly triangular, scarcely c. 0.5 mm long, recurved. Large annual buttercup.

S.A.: *EP, *MU, *SL, *KI, *SE; *W.A.; *N.S.W.; *Vic.; *Tas. Native to north Africa and south-western Europe. Occurs in swamps, backwaters, dams and other sites prone to inundation in the greater Adelaide region, lower Murray River, eastern Kangaroo Island (Dudley), Bordertown and Naracoorte areas. Flowers: Sep., Oct.

Rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennial, glabrous or sparsely pilose; leaves with lamina deeply palmatisect, 3–7 cm wide; ultimate segments 2–9 mm wide, with broad ± tridentate blunt apex; petioles 8–42 cm long. Flowering stems 12–45 cm high, 2–5-flowered; sepals 5, spreading, obovate, 5–8 mm long, ± pilose below; petals 5–14, oblong to obovate-cuneate, 8–18 mm long, golden-yellow; nectary near petal base, pocket-like, lobe 0.5–1 mm long, slightly rounded to shallowly emarginate; stamens c. 30–40; pistils c. 40–100; receptacle moderately hispid throughout. Achenes ± semiorbicular, 1.8–3.0 mm long, faces transversely rippled with c. 6 ridges, dorsal margin distinctly keeled; beak slender, erect or recurved, c. 1–2 mm long.

S.A.: MU; N.S.W.; Vic. Known in S.A. from a single collection from a drainage ditch at Paringa near the Murray River just west of the Vic. border, possibly representing a transient occurrence or accidental introduction. Flowers: Jan (1 record).

Ilustration by B. Chandler, from Flora of South Australia 1: 343, 345, Fig. 195, 196 (1986).
A–D	*Adonis microcarpa*: A, twig; B, petal; C, stamens; D, fruits.
E–H	*Ranunculus trichophyllus*: E, twig; F, leaf; G, petal; H, fruits.
I–K	*Clematis microphylla*: I, twig; J, leaf; K, fruit.
L–M	*Clematis vitalba*: L, leaf; M, flower.
N–P	*Consolida ajacis*: N, twig; O, flower; P, fruit.
Q–S	*Myosurus australis*: Q, plant; R, flower; S, 3 fruits.

Ilustrations by B. Chandler, from Flora of South Australia 1: 349, 351, Fig. 197, 198 (1986).
A–B	*Ranunculus hamatosetosus*: A, plant and leaf; B, fruit.
C–D	*Ranunculus inundatus*: C, leaf; D, fruit.
E–F	*Ranunculus lappaceus*: E, leaf and flower; F, fruit.
G–H	*Ranunculus muricatus*: G, leaf; H, fruit.
I–J	*Ranunculus pachycarpus*: I, plants and leaf; J, fruit.
K–L	*Ranunculus papulentus*: K, plant, leaf and infructescence; L, fruit;
M–N	*Ranunculus parviflorus*: M, leaf and infructescence; N, fruit.
O–P	**Ranunculus pentandrus var. pentandrus**: O, plant, leaf and infructescence; P, fruit.
Q–R	**Ranunculus pumilio var. pumilio: Q, plant, leaf and infructescence; R, fruit. S, R. pumilio var. politus**, fruit.
T–V	*Ranunculus repens*: T, leaf; U, flower and infructescence; V, fruit.
W–X	*Ranunculus amphitrichus*: W, flower; X, fruit.
Y–Z	*Ranunculus robertsonii*: Y, plant and infructescence; Z, fruit.
AA–CC, *Ranunculus sessiliflorus* var. *sessiliflorus*: AA, plant; BB, infructescence; CC, fruit.
DD–FF, **Ranunculus sessiliflorus var. pilulifer**: DD, leaf; EE, infructescence; FF, fruit.
GG–HH, *Ranunculus trilobus*: GG, plant and infructescence; HH, fruit.