Ranunculus ostrobottnicus

Ranunculus ostrobottnicus View in CoL (Markl. ex

G. Kvist) Ericss. 1992. In: Ann. Bot. Fenn., 29(2): 147.

Most important morphological characters: medium-sized (slim) plant with long, linear, toothless cauline leaves and small to medium-sized most developed basal leaves with angle 90–160° of leaf base. Basal cycle leaves with very leaf blades - most developed with whole, coarsely toothed or shallowly trilobated leaves with whole lateral segments, at the same time other basal leaves with deeply 3-lobed or dissected leaf blade with deeply dissected lateral segments, some main lobes in leaf cycle even petiolate. Flowers with partially

Ranunculus Auricomus Complex in the Flora of Latvia. Ranunculus Auricomus Group – Species with Glabrous Receptacles developed petals. This species is well distinguished by a whole more developed basal leaves, differs from similar R. schilleri by linear, toothless cauline leaves ( Fig. 12 View Figure 12 ).

Distribution and ecology in Latvia: relatively rare in the whole territory of Latvia, mostly in old manor parks (Degole, Dole, Juzefova, Snēpele, Zvārtava, Zūras and others). Characteristic habitats for this species are wet shrublands and disturbed, Anthropogenic habitats – rural homesteads, green areas in villages, around churches, wooded meadows, alleys and under individual large trees.

Ranunculus pseudoacris Tzvel. 1996 . In: Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 30: 67.

Most important morphological characters: small or medium-sized (slim) plant with linear, sessile cauline leaves with 1–2 long teeth on each side, only some leaves toothless. Most developed basal cycle leaves small to medium-sized with narrow angle 20–80° of leaf base, with 3-lobed leaf blade, where lateral lobes divided or even dissected, therefore leaves looks round and resembling leaves of R. acris L. All flowers with partially or fully reduced petals. The species differs from other similar species of this complex ( R. acrifolius , R. amplisinus ) by typical long, narrow teeth of cauline leaves ( Fig. 13 View Figure 13 ).

Species firstly described in 1964 from eastern part of Hungary, Debrecen by R. Soó as R. acriformis . However, the epithet turned out to be illegitimate, because Ranunculus with such epithet – Ranunculus acriformis A. Gray was described from America much earlier. Later, in 1996, the Russian botanist N. Tzvelev corrected this error, and gave a new, correct epithet with reference to the description of the basionym, but it should be noted that everything is not completely correct here either. In the first description of the species Soó emphasizes that the species has partially

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Pēteris Evarts- Bunders, Gunta Evarte- Bundere, Dana Krasnopoļska, Aiva Bojāre developed corollas. Despite that, in several latest works written by Tzvelev, the species is erroneously mentioned with a fully developed petals ( Tzvelev 2001, 2012), which later led to misunderstandings and misidentifications.

Distribution and ecology in Latvia: rare, only in some parks and greeneries in south- western part of Latvia: Grobiņa, Aizpute, Cīrava, Ēdole, Nīgrande, Bārta , and not known from natural habitats. Additional research on the distribution and additional herbaria material in Latvia and in neighboring Lithuania are needed to discuss about species status and trends of distribution here, but it is possible, that the species should be considered as an anthropophyte in Latvia.

Ranunculus pseudovertumnalis Haas. 1954 . In: Ber. Bayer. Bot. Ges. 30: 30.

Most important morphological characters: small or medium-sized (slim) plant with oblanceolate or linear, sessile, mostly regularly toothed (1–3 short teeth) cauline leaves and small to medium-sized most deve-

144 loped basal leaves with narrow angle 10–60° of leaf base, lateral lobes sometimes overlapped. Basal cycle leaves with no leaves with whole leaf blade, all most developed basal leaves with 3-lobed leaf blade with lobed lateral segments. First, smaller basal leaves with whole, unlobed lateral segments. Lateral and main segments sessile or with short petioles. Flowers with fully or nearly fully developed petals. The species resembles small plants of R. obtusulus – outline of biggest leaves are rounded but differs by toothed cauline leaves and developed corollas ( Fig. 14 View Figure 14 ).

Distribution and ecology in Latvia: species is described from Central Europe, but known also from neighboring countries of Latvia ( Tzvelev 2001, 2012). Very rare, known only from one locality in central part of Latvia – Riga, Vecdaugava Nature Reserve. Species grows in unmanaged, disturbed contact zone near reed grove in alluvial habitat. There is not

Ranunculus Auricomus Complex in the Flora of Latvia. Ranunculus Auricomus Group – Species with Glabrous Receptacles enough material to discuss about it with certainty, but it is very possible that the species should be considered as an anthropophyte in Latvia.