Flora of New Zealand Series

Ranunculus tenuicaulis Cheesem. in T.N.Z.I. 17, 1885, 235.

Type locality: " Mountains above Arthur's Pass, alt. 4000-5000 feet. " Type: A, T. F. Cheeseman. FL. 12-2. FT. 3-4.

A slender erect herb up to 5 dm. tall; rootstock erect or ascending, with ± fleshy rootlets. Lvs radical, glab. to sparsely hairy; petioles (2)-5-16 cm. long, expanding into membr. sheaths. Laminae ± ciliate and sparsely hairy on upper surface, (1)-2-5 cm. diam., subreniform in outline, divided nearly to base into 3-(5) rather broadly cuneate, toothed or lobed segs; terminal seg. us. trilobed, lateral ± deeply and irregularly 2-3-lobed and us. again cut or toothed. Scapes solitary to few, 8-35 cm. long, us. unbranched, finely grooved, 1-fld; cauline lvs or bracts 2-3, simple to dissected, c. midway or nearer to flower. Sepals 5-7, petaloid, c. 5 mm. long, reddish to pinkish or brownish, linear to ovate, attenuate. Stamens 5-20, filaments filiform, connective very slightly produced. Achenes up to 30 or more, c. 4-5 mm. long, fusiform, gradually narrowed into a long style hooked and ± twisted at apex.

DIST.: N. Tararua Range. S. 41°-46°; higher montane to subalpine grassland and herbfield.