Ranunculus aestivalis
Encyclopedia
Ranunculus aestivalis is a rare species of buttercup
known by the common name autumn buttercup. It is endemic to the state of Utah
in the United States, where it exists only in Garfield County
next to the Sevier River
. It is restricted to a moist microhabitat in an otherwise dry, open ecosystem
, and the amount of available habitat is very limited. This is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States. It has been described as "the most graceful and showy members of the genus in the western United States," but also "one of the state's rarest and most restricted plants."
This plant is often treated as a variety of Ranunculus acriformis or Ranunculus acris. A genetic analysis
study showed it to be sufficiently separate and it was elevated to species status by one group of authors in 1994.
This plant produces a hairy, erect stem 30 to 60 centimeters tall. The leaves are divided into three dissected parts, or sometimes three leaflets. Each plant produces about 6 to 10 flowers. The flower has five, or occasionally ten yellow petals each around a centimeter long. Blooming occurs in July through October, giving the plant its common name.
This wildflower grows in wet riparian
meadows on the western slope of the Sevier River Valley of Utah. The meadows are fed by springs
, keeping them marsh
y. The plants grow on slightly raised mounds in the bog
gy meadows and adjacent drier habitat. Other plants in the habitat include Achillea millefolium, Juncus articus var. balticus, Carex nebrascensis
, Aster occidentalis, Plantago eriopoda
, Glaux maritima, Carex aquatilis
, Hordeum jubatum
, and Trifolium, Dodecatheon
, and Eleocharis
species. Moss
es grow among the plants as well.
Threats to the plant include changes in the local hydrology
, because the plant relies on a certain level of moisture in its microhabitat. Irrigation
may be a cause of these changes. Grazing
may also affect the plant. Grazing may have positive effects at times, as livestock
trims down competing vegetation, such as sedges
. A genetic bottleneck may result from the small numbers of remaining plants.
This plant was feared extinct in the 1970s and was rediscovered in 1982. The Nature Conservancy
purchased the land holding the buttercups and made it a nature preserve. The plant was propagated
in tissue culture
. The Conservancy and other agencies have planted some autumn buttercup plants in the Conservancy's preserve near Panguitch, Utah
to augment the small population.
Ranunculus
Ranunculus is a large genus of about 600 species of plants in the Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus include the buttercups, spearworts, water crowfoots and the lesser celandine....
known by the common name autumn buttercup. It is endemic to the state of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in the United States, where it exists only in Garfield County
Garfield County, Utah
Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 4,735. It was named for James A. Garfield, President of the United States in 1881. Its county seat and largest city is Panguitch.-Geography:...
next to the Sevier River
Sevier River
The Sevier River , extending , is the longest Utah river entirely in the state and drains an extended chain of mountain farming valleys to the intermittent Sevier Lake...
. It is restricted to a moist microhabitat in an otherwise dry, open ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
, and the amount of available habitat is very limited. This is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States. It has been described as "the most graceful and showy members of the genus in the western United States," but also "one of the state's rarest and most restricted plants."
This plant is often treated as a variety of Ranunculus acriformis or Ranunculus acris. A genetic analysis
Genetic analysis
Genetic analysis can be used generally to describe methods both used in and resulting from the sciences of genetics and molecular biology, or to applications resulting from this research....
study showed it to be sufficiently separate and it was elevated to species status by one group of authors in 1994.
This plant produces a hairy, erect stem 30 to 60 centimeters tall. The leaves are divided into three dissected parts, or sometimes three leaflets. Each plant produces about 6 to 10 flowers. The flower has five, or occasionally ten yellow petals each around a centimeter long. Blooming occurs in July through October, giving the plant its common name.
This wildflower grows in wet riparian
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
meadows on the western slope of the Sevier River Valley of Utah. The meadows are fed by springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, keeping them marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
y. The plants grow on slightly raised mounds in the bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
gy meadows and adjacent drier habitat. Other plants in the habitat include Achillea millefolium, Juncus articus var. balticus, Carex nebrascensis
Carex nebrascensis
Carex nebrascensis is a species of sedge known by the common name Nebraska sedge.-Distribution:This sedge is native to the central and Western United States and north into central Canada. It grows in wetlands at various elevations, including the Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert sky islands...
, Aster occidentalis, Plantago eriopoda
Plantago eriopoda
Plantago eriopoda is a species of plantain known by the common name redwool plantain. It is native to much of western and central North America from Alaska to the southwestern United States to the Great Lakes region, where it can be found in moist and wet habitat types, sometimes in alkaline soils...
, Glaux maritima, Carex aquatilis
Carex aquatilis
Carex aquatilis is a species of sedge known by the common names water sedge and leafy tussock sedge. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern reaches of the Northern Hemisphere. It grows in many types of mountainous and Arctic habitat, including temperate coniferous...
, Hordeum jubatum
Hordeum jubatum
Hordeum jubatum is a perennials plant species in the grass family Poaceae. It occurs wild mainly in northern North America and adjacent northeastern Siberia. However, as it escaped often from gardens it can be found worldwide in areas with temperate to warm climates, and is considered a weed in...
, and Trifolium, Dodecatheon
Dodecatheon
Dodecatheon is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the Primrose family Primulaceae. The species have basal clumps of leaves and nodding flowers that are produced at the top of tall stems that rise from where the leaves join the crown. They are commonly called Shooting Stars because of the...
, and Eleocharis
Eleocharis
Eleocharis is a genus of 250 or more species of flowering plants in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. They are known commonly as spikerushes, although spikesedges is a more technically appropriate name and most scientists who study them in earnest refer to them as such...
species. Moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
es grow among the plants as well.
Threats to the plant include changes in the local hydrology
Hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
, because the plant relies on a certain level of moisture in its microhabitat. Irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
may be a cause of these changes. Grazing
Grazing
Grazing generally describes a type of feeding, in which a herbivore feeds on plants , and also on other multicellular autotrophs...
may also affect the plant. Grazing may have positive effects at times, as livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
trims down competing vegetation, such as sedges
Carex
Carex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
. A genetic bottleneck may result from the small numbers of remaining plants.
This plant was feared extinct in the 1970s and was rediscovered in 1982. The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
purchased the land holding the buttercups and made it a nature preserve. The plant was propagated
Plant propagation
Plant propagation is the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources: seeds, cuttings, bulbs and other plant parts. Plant propagation can also refer to the artificial or natural dispersal of plants.-Sexual propagation :...
in tissue culture
Tissue culture
Tissue culture is the growth of tissues or cells separate from the organism. This is typically facilitated via use of a liquid, semi-solid, or solid growth medium, such as broth or agar...
. The Conservancy and other agencies have planted some autumn buttercup plants in the Conservancy's preserve near Panguitch, Utah
Panguitch, Utah
Panguitch is a city in and the county seat of Garfield County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Panguitch is located at ....
to augment the small population.