Ranunculus papulentus Epaqvitro

Description

The river buttercup from Australia, Ranunculus papulentus, is also sold with the label "Ranunculus papulentus". It is a true eye-catcher with its unique palmate fresh green leaves and its creeping growth habit. To live up to its full potential, this Ranunculus needs lots of light to prevent it from forming too long leaf stalks. Ranunculus inundatus can also be cultivated as bog plant in shallow water or wet soil. Under good conditions it will form its small yellow flowers then.

Ranunculus papulentus or river buttercup, is an amphibic plant originating from south-eastern Australia. There it grows on wet mud or in the waters of ponds and rivers. Ranunculus (buttercup) species are found in many wetlands all over the world, however, R. inundatus is one of the few that grow submersed, too.
Ranunculus papulentus, another Australian buttercup species, and closely related to R. inundatus, is also said to be imported as aquarium plant. However, those plants named R. papulentus in trade do not differ at all from those hitherto identified as R. inundatus. Especially their emersed forms correspond much better to the descriptions and illustrations of R. inundatus than those of R. papulentus (e.g. Flora of New South Wales).