Ranunculus trigonus Handel-Mazzetti 1931
Creators: name: Fei, Wen-Qun
name: Yuan, Qiong
name: Yang, Qin-Er
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Ranunculales
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculus
Ranunculus trigonus

description: Ranunculus trigonus Handel-Mazzetti (1931: 304). Figs.1, 3–19, 21–23.
Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Ninglang, Yongning (= Yungning) town, alt. ca. 2725 m, 22 July 1914, H. Handel-Mazzetti 3141 (holotype WU0039284!). Fig. 4.
= Ranunculus yanshanensis Wang (1996: 161), syn. nov.
Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Yanshan, Panlong town, alt. 1200 m, in moist places by river, 24 October 1939, C.W. Wang 84625 (holotype KUN1262283!; isotypes KUN365880!, PE00466455!). Fig. 1.
= Ranunculus tengchongensis Wang (2008: 519), syn. nov.
Type:— CHINA. Yunnan: Tengchong, Daju, Beihai, alt. 1730 m, 29 May 2006, Gaoligong Shan Biodiversity Survey 29700 (holotype CAS474694!; isotype KUN1409969!). Fig. 3.
Description:—Perennial herbs, sometimes with stolons. Roots fibrous, cylindric. Stems 4.5–48 cm tall, prostrate or ascending, subglabrous, sparsely spreading hirsute, subappressed hirsute, or densely spreading hirsute, usually branched. Basal leaves 3–6; blade simple or ternate, 2–5.7 cm long, 2–7 cm broad, subglabrous or subappressed hirsute on both sides; blades 3-partite or 3-sect, with central lobe or leaflet rhombic-cuneate or rhombic-obovate, 3-partite or 3- lobed, incised-dentate and lateral lobes or leaflets obliquely rhombic or obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-cleft; petioles 2–28 cm long, subglabrous, sparsely spreading hirsute, subappressed hirsute, or densely spreading hirsute. Lower stem leaves similar to basal ones; upper stem leaves 3-sect. Inflorescence monochasial or compound monochasial, 2–10- flowered. Flowers 1–1.4 cm in diameter. Pedicels 2–5 cm long, sparsely or densely subappressed hirsute. Receptacle hirsute, inflated at fruiting stage. Sepals 5, ovate or broadly ovate, 4–5 mm long, 2–3 mm broad, abaxially sparsely or densely subappressed hirsute, reflexed at anthesis. Petals 5, rarely 3 or 7, oblong, 5–6 mm long, 2–2.5 mm broad, apex rounded, with inconspicuous claw at base and nectary covered by a scale. Stamens 15–25; filaments linear, 1.2–2 mm long; anthers oblong, 1–1.5 mm long. Gynoecium subglobose. Carpels numerous, obliquely ovate; ovaries ca. 1.3 mm long, with very short and slightly curved styles. Aggregate fruit subglobose or globose, 6–8 mm in diameter. Achenes flat, obliquely obovate, ca. 3 mm long, ca. 2 mm broad, glabrous, narrowly marginate, with short, acute beaks at apex.
Phenology:—Flowering from March to June; fruiting from May to July.
Distribution and habitat:— Ranunculus trigonus is distributed in northwestern Guizhou, southwestern Sichuan, southeastern Xizang (Tibet), and Yunnan (Fig. 24). It grows by roadsides, riverbanks, or in farmlands at elevations of 1300–3300 m above sea level.
Additional specimens examined (barcodes are cited when available):— CHINA. Guizhou: Weining, Anonymous 165 (HGAS 013365), Y.P. Zeng 58 (IBSC). Sichuan: Daocheng, Anonymous 768 (CDBI0025669), T.T. Yu 13236 (KUN0688325, PE00466458); Muli, F.Q. Lu 7750 (CDBI0025667; SZ00091769), T.T. Yu 7214 (PE00466418, PE00466419); Yanyuan, H.Handel-Mazzetti 2229(WU0039285), Yanyuan Exped.360 (SM704604258, SM704604310). Xizang: Zayü, Z.C. Ni et al. 529 (PE00466470). Yunnan: Binchuan, Anonymous 65-0600 (KUN00051668); Dali, G. Forrest 4374 (P00193607), H. Koyama et al. 846 (KUN0691513), C.W. Wang 63499 (KUN0688343, LBG00051663, NAS00185275, PE00466420, PE00466421), Q.E. Yang 9407 (PE02344185), Q.E. Yang 9428 (PE00466437), Z.J. Yin & H.J. Dong 535 (KUN1215331); Dayao, Y. Chen & B. Bai 61 (KUN0691624); Dêqên, Qinghai-Xizang Veg. Exped. 8344 (PE00048478); Eryuan: J.M. Delavay 1080 (P00193774), J.M. Delavay 2171 (P00193779), J.M. Delavay s.n. (P); Fengqing, C.W. Wang 71958 (PE00466450, PE00466453); Fuming, B.Y. Qiu 59220 (KUN365926); Guangnan, C.W. Wang 87228 (KUN377504, PE00466457), C.W. Wang & Y. Liu 87447 (KUN365882, PE00466454); Heqing, J.M. Delavay 1515 (P00193776, P00193777, P00203884), Q. Lin et al. 771826 (KUN0691531, KUN0691531); Jianchuan, Q.E. Yang 94132 (PE02344183); Jingdong, M.K. Li 3105 (KUN0687344), Y.P. Zeng 21 (IBSC), Y.P. Zeng 25 (IBSC); Kunming, Anonymous 50776 (PE00466447), W.Q. Fei & Y.P. Zeng 253 (IBSC), K.H. Liang 168 (KUN0687346), T.N. Liou 13553 (PE00466466), T.N. Liou 13747 (PE00466467), T.N. Liou 16940 (PE00466442), T.N. Liou 19470 (KUN378507, PE00466443), B.Y. Qiu 70124 (CDBI0025670, IBK00356836); Lijiang, D. Chamberlain et al. SBL 000000132 (E, K), R.C. Ching 20284 (KUN0688352, KUN0688353, PE00466433), H. Li et al. 611 (KUN0691536), Q. Lin et al. 771015 (KUN0691522, KUN0691522), S.H. Nie 71406 (PE01458722), C. Schneider 3387 (K), C.W. Wang 65016 (KUN0688341, PE00466426, PE 00466430), C.W. Wang 71462 (KUN0688340, LBG00051841, PE00466422, PE00466431), Q.E. Yang 94131 (PE00459650), Q.E. Yang 94154 (PE02344184), S.W. Yu 65061 (KUN365907, PE00466427, PE00466432), S.W. Yu & A.L. Zhang 100864 (KUN378522), Zhongdian Exped. 674 (KUN0688334, PE00466428, PE00466429); Longling, Gaoligong Shan Biodiversity Survey 17637 (KUN1409911); Luquan, P.I. Mao 1338 (KUN365901, PE00466461); Lushui, W.Q. Fei & Y.P. Zeng 216 (IBSC); Mengzi, M. Tanant s.n. (P00193782); Ninglang, Y.P. Zeng & Y.F. Luo 500 (IBSC), T.J. Tong & Y. Hong 61 (IBSC); Precise locality unknown, J.M. Delavay 488 (P00186621), J.M. Delavay 2314 (P00186623), F. Ducloux 6179 (P00186624); Shangrila, Anonymous 78 (HITBC), Y.P. Zeng & Y.F. Luo 520 (IBSC), X.W. Tian et al. 466 (PE00500487, SZ00378189), Q.E. Yang & H.Z. Kong 98-241 (PE0234425, PE0234426), Q.E. Yang & Q. Yuan Yangqe 2028 (PE02032596), Q.S. Yang et al. ZhouZK-07ZX-0201 (KUN1232831), Zhongdian Exped. 63-2732 (KUN0688357); Shizong, Shizong Exped. 78 (IBK00356777); Shuangjiang, C.W. Wang 72986 (NAS00185278, PE00466451, PE00466452); Songming, B.Y. Qiu 51347 (KUN0688330), B.Y. Qiu 51649 (KUN51649, PE51649); Tengchong, W.Q. Fei & Y.P. Zeng 223 (IBSC), H. Li 11334 (E00208506, PE1409868), Y.Z. Zhou zhyz-205 (KUN1232845); Weixi, Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 6490 (KUN0691599, PE00466459, PE01108284, PE01108286); Wenshan, Y.M. Shui 2322 (PE00466434); Yangbi, R.C. Ching 22285 (KUN378513, PE00466424), H. Hara & K.Y. Guan 325 (KUN377401); Yanshan, W.Q. Fei & Y.P. Zeng 248 (IBSC), W.Q. Fei & Y.P. Zeng 252 (IBSC); Yimen, W.Q. Yin 39 (PE00466460); Yongsheng, NW Yunnan Jinsha River Exped. 6462 (KUN068326, PE00458477, PE00466423), Yongsheng Chin. Med. Resour. Exped. 5307220520 (IMDY0001862); Yunlong, Q.E. Yang 93050 (PE00466438); Zhenkang, T.T. Yu 16979 (KUN378514, PE00466445, PE00466446).
Notes:—Morphologically Ranunculus trigonus is somewhat similar to R. chinensis in having hirsute stems, obliquely ovate carpels with very short and slightly curved styles, and flat, obliquely obovate, glabrous, narrowly marginate achenes with short, acute beaks. However, R. trigonus (Figs. 10–14, 18, 19, 21) is easily distinguishable from R. chinensis (Fig. 20) by having subglobose (vs. long ovoid) gynoecium, subglobose or globose (vs. long ovoid-cylindric) aggregate fruit, and ovoid (vs. long ovoid-cylindric) receptacle.
Ranunculus trigonus var. strigosus Wang (1996: 164) was described on the basis of a single specimen, C.W. Wang 72869 (KUN1262286; Fig. 25A), from Gengma county in Yunnan province, China. In the protologue, Wang (1996) stated that this variety was distinguishable from the type variety, var. trigonus, by having densely strigose (vs. spreading pubescent) stems and petioles, larger flowers (ca. 1.5 cm vs. 0.6–1 cm in diameter), longer sepals (ca. 5 mm vs. ca. 6 mm), and larger petals (7–8 mm × 3–4 mm vs. 3.2–6 mm × 1.6–4 mm). Our survey of herbarium specimens resulted in the discovery of four duplicate sheets of the holotype of R. trigonus var. strigosus, three at PE (Fig. 25B–D) and one at LBG (not shown here). In 1975, L. Liou identified two of the PE sheets (Fig. 25B, C) as R. chinensis, and the remaining one at PE (Fig. 25D) as R. cantoniensis Candolle (1824: 43). However, the latter PE one (Fig. 25D) was identified as R. laetus Wallich ex Royle (1834: 53) in December 1955 and R. silerifolius Léveillé (1909: 257) in October 2004, by W.T. Wang, the author of R. trigonus var. strigosus. The LBG sheet has not as yet been identified. Based on critical observations on type specimens of R. trigonus var. strigosus, we suspect that this variety may be a hybrid, with R. chinensis and R. silerifolius as its parents, because its basal leaves is somewhat similar to those of R. chinensis in shape, and its carpels is somewhat similar to those of R. silerifolius in having long, recurved styles at apex. Further studies, particularly observations on living plants in the wild and molecular work, are needed to determine the relationships among R. chinensis, R. silerifolius, R. trigonus var. strigosus and R. trigonus var. trigonus.
description: Published as part of Fei, Wen-Qun, Yuan, Qiong & Yang, Qin-Er, 2023, Ranunculus tengchongensis and R. yanshanensis (Ranunculaceae), both described from Yunnan in China, are merged with R. trigonus, pp. 7-36 in Phytotaxa 595 (1) on pages 24-35, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.595.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/7889465