Ranunculus asiaticus

Ranunculus asiaticus, the Persian buttercup, is a species of buttercup (Ranunculus) native to the eastern Mediterranean region in southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe (Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes), and northeastern Africa.[1]

Ranunculus asiaticus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Ranunculus
Species:
R. asiaticus
Binomial name
Ranunculus asiaticus

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 45 cm tall, with simple or branched stems. The basal leaves are three-lobed, with leaves higher on the stems more deeply divided; like the stems, they are downy or hairy. The flowers are 3–5 cm diameter, variably red to pink, yellow, or white, with one to several flowers on each stem.[2]

It is a protected species in some jurisdictions, including Israel.

Cultivation and uses

Double-flowered forms, which are likely hybrids, are a popular ornamental plant in gardens, and widely used in floristry. Numerous cultivars have been selected, including 'Bloomingdale', 'Picotee', 'Pot Dwarf', and 'Superbissima'. The plants can tolerate light frost, but are not hardy at temperatures below -10 °C.[2]

'Tecolote' and 'Bloomingdale' are examples of the double-flowered plants (not shown here). The single-flowered species form is not commercially cultivated on any significant scale. By contrast, the similar-looking Anemone coronaria is widely available in single-flower 'De Caen' hybrid forms. However, as with Ranunculus asiaticus, the species form, which also has red single flowers, is not commercially cultivated.

References
  1. "Ranunculus asiaticus". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.


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