Mount Allen buttercup facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Allen buttercup |
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| Conservation status | |
 Nationally Critical (NZ TCS) |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ranunculus
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| Species: |
viridis
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The Ranunculus viridis, also known as the Mount Allen buttercup, is a very rare and special type of buttercup. It is found only in one place in the world: Rakiura/Stewart Island in New Zealand. This tiny plant grows high up on Mount Allen in the Tin Range, at about 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level. It is considered critically endangered, meaning it is at high risk of disappearing forever.
How it was Found
The Mount Allen buttercup was first officially described by a botanist named Hugh Wilson in 1980. The name viridis means 'green' in Latin. This name was chosen because of the plant's bright green leaves.
Scientists from the Department of Conservation looked for these plants in the early 2000s. They found a few. In March 2017, another team found more plants. They carefully collected two small plant clumps. These clumps are now growing safely in a special glasshouse. This glasshouse is at the Dunedin Botanic Garden. It has controlled climate conditions to help the plants grow.
What it Looks Like
The Mount Allen buttercup is a small perennial herb. This means it is a plant that lives for more than two years and does not have a woody stem. Its leaves grow in small groups or patches. It has a thick rhizome, which is like a root stem, with many fleshy roots.
The leaves are bright green, thick, and shiny. They are usually about 20-40 millimeters (about 1-1.5 inches) wide. The flower stem is short, only 15-30 millimeters (about 0.5-1 inch) tall. It barely reaches above the leaves. The stem is covered with fine, cobweb-like hairs. It also has a groove on its top surface.
Each stem grows a single, bright yellow flower. The flower is quite large, about 25-30 millimeters (about 1-1.2 inches) across. The bottom third of the petals are green. After the flower, a light green seed head forms. It is about 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) wide. This head contains many small, brown achenes, which are tiny, dry fruits with one seed. The Mount Allen buttercup flowers between December and March. It produces fruit between December and May.
Where it Lives and its Family
New Zealand is home to over 40 different types of wild buttercups. Thirty-four of these are native to the country. Most of them grow in mountain areas or on islands where there are no predators. The Mount Allen buttercup is one of three species that are found only on Rakiura/Stewart Island.
This special buttercup lives only in the remote Tin Range. It grows on the slopes of Mount Allen. You can find it in shady, damp cracks and ledges of rocky areas. These spots are high up on the mountain, around 700 meters (2,300 feet) high.
The Mount Allen buttercup is closely related to two other buttercup species. One is R. pinguis, which lives on the Auckland and Campbell Islands. The other is the yellow mountain buttercup (R. sericophyllus), found in the South Island.
Images for kids
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Map showing the distribution of Ranunculus viridis on Rakiura/Stewart Island.
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View from Mount Allen, where the buttercup grows.
