Ranunculus papulentus

In recent years an aquarium plant has become known under the name Ranunculus papulentus and is available commercially. It apparently does not differ from the buttercup that has long been known in the aquarium hobby as Ranunculus inundatus.

According to the descriptions and images in the "New South Wales Flora online", however, Ranunculus papulentus has a distinctly different leaf shape from R. inundatus and from the aquarium plant cultivated as "R. papulentus". The description of Ranunculus inundatus in this flora, by contrast, fits the aquarium "R. papulentus" better.

We therefore believe that the aquarium plant called "R. papulentus" is wrongly identified and is in fact Ranunculus inundatus. True Ranunculus papulentus, on the other hand, has probably not yet been cultivated in aquariums and is not available commercially either. Therefore no information on the aquarium suitability of R. papulentus can be given here either.

Ranunculus papulentus, like R. inundatus, occurs in south-eastern Australia and colonises wet sites, mud and ponds. The plant is perennial in the wild and flowers from spring to autumn. The flowering stems are 3 to 30 cm tall. The yellow, glossy petals are 7 to 12 mm long and 2 to 4 mm wide. The petioles are mostly 4 to 25 cm long, the leaf blades 2 to 4 cm long and ternate. The three leaf segments have 3 to 5 lobes or teeth or, rarely, are entire. The leaves have a thick texture.

Besides Ranunculus papulentus and R. inundatus, there are other similar buttercup species in wetlands in Australia, e.g. Ranunculus amphitrichus.