Flora-Fauna

Ranunculus myosuroides Boiss. & Kotschy

First published in P.E.Boissier, Diagn. Pl. Orient., ser. 2, 5: 6 (1856).

(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 36, Pl. XII, 5; 1970)

• Life-form & habit: Dwarf perennial, described by Mouterde as remaining below 10 cm. Tuberous roots cylindrical-conical, sometimes very short. Stem ascending and curved, scarcely exceeding the leaves, occasionally with a short flowering branch.

• Leaves: Two to four basal leaves, wedge-shaped at the base and divided to the axis into lanceolate, blunt-tipped lobes, entire or slightly lobed at the sides. Stem naked or with one small leaf divided into two or three thread-like segments.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Flowers about 1 cm across. Sepals whitish and reflexed. Petals pale yellow, rather narrow, strongly veined and sometimes folded between the veins. Carpels exceed the stamens.

• Fruit: Oval fruiting heads. Achenes very small, unusually thick rather than flattened, with a strongly arched, scarcely keeled back ending in a short beak. Inner side narrower; lateral face poorly defined, without a distinct margin or tubercles.

• Phenology: May.

• Habitat & elevation: High mountains.

• Lebanese distribution: Pass near Jabal Zahrour, the Cedars, Jourd Hasroun, Jabal Sannine, Caracol Metiouhane, above the Cedars and the Cedars Pass.

• Syrian distribution: Manchoura, Jabal Abou el Haoua and above Bloudane.

• Recorded locations: Sannine.

• Native range: Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine and Türkiye.

⚠️ Taxonomic note: Mouterde describes this plant as regionally endemic, but Kew records a wider native range extending into Türkiye, Iraq and Palestine. It is therefore not presented here as endemic to Lebanon.