Ranunculus cornutus var. leiocarpus (Boiss.) Davis (1959: 156)

Ziffer-Berger, Jotham & Leschner - R, Hagar V., 2013, New interpretation of the Ranunculus cornutus-R. marginatus complex (Ranunculaceae), Phytotaxa 151 (1), pp. 35-43 : 38

Ranunculus cornutus var. leiocarpus (Boiss.) Davis (1959: 156)

Basionym : Ranunculus lomatocarpus Fisch. & Mey. var. leiocarpus Boissier (1867:56) . Type (designated here):— AZERBAIJAN. ‘ In pratis prope Kisilagatsch et Lenkoran’, 1836, R . F . Hohenacker (lectotype P!) .

This is a smooth-achened variety or tuberculate only at the margins of the achene disc. The beak is shorter than in var. cornutus . According to Davis, the variety is encountered solely in the region of Lenkoran in Azerbaijan ( Fig. 5 ).

2. Ranunculus marginatus d’Urville (1822: 318) . Type:— TURKEY. ‘in collibus circa Trapezum’, d’Urville [P]: lost. Neotype (designated here):— TURKEY. ‘ Armenia, inter Trapezuntem et Baibout’ [between Trabzon and Bayburt], May 1853, Huet de Pavillon (P!-00186799). Heterotypic synonym:— Ranunculus trachycarpus Fisch. & Mey. var. leiodiscus Boiss. & Huet in Boissier (1856: 9).

Ind. typ.:—‘ Armenia’, Huet s.n. Lectotype (designated here):— TURKEY. ‘ Armenia , inter Trapezuntem et

Baibout’ [between Trabzon and Bayburt], May 1853, Huet de Pavillon ( P!-00186799) .

Note:—The holotype specimen of R. marginatus has been not been seen for at least half a century, and since Davis (1959) also also has not seen this specimen, we presume it to be lost. Therefore we chose a neotype for this species, which is from the same area in Turkey and which happens also to be the lectotype of R. trachycarpus var. leiodiscus .

Ranunculus marginatus is a 15–30(–50) cm tall herb, characterized by lower and middle leaves that are either simple or divided into three blunt lobes, but not dissected ( Fig. 4 ). The achenes are short- beaked and variable in size. The achene disc is either tuberculate or smooth.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Specimen of Ranunculus marginatus var. trachycarpus, demonstrating simple, trilobed but undissected leaves (TURKEY, Antalya Province, near site of Arlan Lake, 30 May 1988. Zearzty & Atkins [HUJ]).

FIGURE 5. Schematic drawing of Ranunculus achenes, side view: 1) R. marginatus var. trachycarpus from Turkey; 2) R. cornutus var. cornutus from Syria 3) R. cornutus var. scandicinus from Israel 4) R. cornutus var. leiocarpus from Azerbaijan. Author's illustration.