Common Name

Ferny Buttercup, Ferny Small-Flowered Buttercup, Small-Flowered Buttercup

Family

Ranunculaceae

Notes

Annual forb to 40cm tall.  Leaves alternating up the stems, 0.5-2cm long, to 10-30mm wide, hairy, composed of 3 leaflets or lobed, the leaflets or lobes further dissected into flat to linear segments with pointed tips.  Lower leaves with toothed margins.  Flowers often small (less than 3mm across), green, with 2-5 small yellow petals, solitary, stalkless or on stalks arising from the bases of the leaves.  Vulnerable SA (var. politus). Poorly known Vic (var. politus).

The differences between Ranunculus pumilio var. pumilio and Ranunculus pumilio var. politus can best be seen with a microscope.  Var. politus has 3 (rarely 4) sepals, and smooth, hairless seeds. Var. pumilio has 5 sepals, and warty, hairy, seeds.

Description (page 311) and photo (var. pumilio page 310) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Ranunculus~pumilio

Photo of flowering plant (var. pumilio). Photo Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW