Ranunculus Week: Halerpestes sarmentosa

[Gurcharan Singh]

This plant lying unidentified at FOI website has been bothering me for a long time. Today I had a go at it, starting from the lead that plant has more than five petals, not typical of Ranunculus. I thought of taking help from eFlora website. Flora of Pakistan was not much help as it does not give any keys. I sifted through key in eFlora of China and narrowed down to two genera Halerpestes (5-10 petals) and Oxygraphis (13-15 petals), and finally to Halerpestes, and finally to H. sarmentosa (Adams) Kom. with rounded-reniform cordate leaves and crenate margins. The names is based on Ranunculus sarmentosus Adams.  

KEW Plant list treats Halerpestes sarmentosa (Adams) Kom as accepted name, whereas the Revision of Indian Ranunculus cites Ranunculus sarmentosus Adams as synonym of R. cymbalariae, from which I think it is different in leaf shape and form. 

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/Unidentified/

http://tai2.ntu.edu.tw/taiwania/pdf/tai.2010.55.3.273.pdf

http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/tro-27102762

  
--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[Gurcharan Singh]

After further discussion with Tabish ji, this plant is after all not H. sarmentosa

The search for this illusive plant is on.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[J.M. Garg]

Forwarding again for Id confirmation or otherwise please.

Some earlier relevant feedback:

“After further discussion with Tabish ji, this plant is after all not H. sarmentosa

The search for this illusive plant is on.”

 

From another thread:

"With flowers I dont mind calling that plant as Ranunculus cymbalariae, but leaves are pretty different. This is reported from Sikkim according to the reference. But as you say the number of petals. I imagine if I have any other option. He does state that the species is highly variable.
Leaf matches well with Ranunculus stewartii." from Pankaj ji.

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg (jmg...@gmail.com)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1

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