Family |
Ranunculaceae
Ranunculus millefolius subsp. hierosolymitanus
(Boiss.) P.H.Davis
Ranunculus millefolius subsp. hierosolymitanus (Boiss.) P.H.Davis
First published in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 23: 150 (1960).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 40, Pl. XV, 3; 1970)
• Synonyms: Ranunculus hierosolymitanus Boiss.; Ranunculus orientalis subsp. hierosolymitanus (Boiss.) P.H.Davis.
• Life-form & habit: Perennial, described by Mouterde as closely related to R. millefolius. The parent account describes clustered tuberous roots and densely hairy, branched stems 10–40 cm tall.
• Leaves: Very densely hairy and greyish, more so than typical R. millefolius, divided into consistently short segments.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Petals bright yellow or very pale in living plants. Mouterde distinguishes this taxon from typical R. millefolius chiefly by its leaves and fruits.
• Fruit: Small achenes, 1–2 mm, with a barely margined face and short, often hooked beak, forming a narrow, almost cylindrical fruiting head.
• Phenology: March–May.
• Habitat & elevation: Roadsides and degraded pasture.
• Lebanese distribution: Tripoli, near Beirut, Jamhour, Broummana, Machnaqa, Ras el Kifa near Tripoli, Aramoun, Jabal Terbol, Cheikh Mohammed, Qraye, Rayfoun, Nabatiye, Roueissat, Mdeireje, Dahr el Baidar, Neba el Hadid, Sannine, Bcharre, Hadeth, Hadchit, Sofar, Ehden, Hasroun, Ksara, Zahle, the Yantha road, southwest of Rachaya, northeast of Hasbani and Ibl es Saki.
• Syrian distribution: Qadmous, Ouroum es Soughra, Wadi el Qarn, north of Qneitra, south of Sanamein, Ain Safsaf, Tell Ahmar, Sale, Tell Qouleib, Khisfine and Palmyra. Mouterde additionally cites Abou Dali to Afir for a hairy-carpelled form named var. homsensis.
• Recorded locations: Sannine and Kfertay.
• Native range: Egypt, Lebanon-Syria and Palestine. Kew lists presence in Libya and Morocco as doubtful.
⚠️ Taxonomic note: Mouterde treats this plant under Ranunculus hierosolymitanus, also citing the currently accepted subspecies combination. His var. homsensis locality is retained as a historical attributed record; the form is not assigned a separate modern taxonomic status here.