Ranunculus scapiger

Hairy Buttercup

Tufted perennial herb with spreading hairs and fibrous roots.

FamilyRanunculaceae
StoreyLower storey
Sizeto 40 cm
Plant groupingHerbs & Groundcovers <1m
LeavesEgg-shaped to triangular leaves 2-7 cm wide, on stalks 5-30 cm long. Basal leaves divided into 3 deep lobes, the segments 3-lobed or toothed.
Flower colourGlossy yellow
Flowering timeOctober to February
FlowersErect branched flowering stems, longer than leaves, with up to 10 5-petalled flowers. Sepals hairy, bent down. Round fruit of 20-50 smooth seeds, beak to 1.2-2 mm, tip short and tightly recoiled.
Bird attractingNo
Butterfly attractingNo
Frog habitatNo
Growing conditionsOccurs in moist mountain soils in Sassafras. Dappled to full shade.
Garden useBright flower for a moist area.
Commercially availableNever
Conservation statusSignificant within the Shire. Known from very few local sites. More common outside the Shire boundary.
Related speciesVery similar to Ranunculus plebeius which has a smaller beak on the seed and generally occurs at lower altitudes.