| Class: | angiosperms |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Caltha |
| Scientific name: | Caltha palustris L. |
| Name acc. to: | Gubanov 1996 |
| Herbar: | list records  |
| Description: | Leaves mainly dentate. Flowers yellow. Follicles 4-15. |
| Tax. Comments: | Paludal or meadow-paludal plant. |
| Link to Flora of China: | http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=2&name_str=Caltha+palustris |
| open map in a new window |  |
| Habitat: | Damp river and brook banks, old river beds, swampy meadows, uremas and pebbles in forest and alpine belts (Grubov 2001). |
| Habit (i)general appearance of a plant | |
| Growth form: (i)Herb, shrub, tree or climber. | annual (i)Completing its life cycle within one year or one growing season; roots weak and thin  inherited by genus Caltha: annual
herb (i)Herbaceous, erect plant, up to 2m high, mostly with a leafy shoot; if perennial, shoots die to the ground each season, shoots are not woody
example: Artemisia pectinata  inherited by family Ranunculaceae: herb inherited by genus Caltha: herb
perennial (i)Living for several to many years, as opposed to annual and biennial
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| Parasite status: (i)Is the plant a half- or full parasite? | no parasite/saprophyte (i)Plant fully autonomous, leaves with chlorophyll
example: Most plants, Ranunculus inherited by family Ranunculaceae: no parasite/saprophyte
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| Water or terrestrial plant: (i)Where do the plants grow? | water or swamp plant inherited by genus Caltha: water or swamp plant
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| Leaf (i)expanded, usually photosynthetic organ of a plant (including phylloclades) | |
| Leaf development: (i)Structure and development of leaves. | with green leaves (i)Plant with green leaves inherited by family Ranunculaceae: with green leaves
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| Leaf arrangement: (i)Arrangement of leaves at the stem. | alternate (i)One leaf per node; distiche: arranged in two vertical rows, equitant
example: Phragmites   inherited by genus Caltha: alternate
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| Simple or divided leaves: (i)Are the leaves simple or completely divided in several parts? Blade of the leaf entire or (more or less) deeply dissected. Attention: There are various appearances of the leaf margin (from entire to toothed and lobed). Here, we ignore this and ask only for dissections that separate the leaf for more than one third of its length or width, whatever is smaller. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell apart compound leaves from a shoot system with simple leaves: look for stipulae and/or axillary buds at the ground of the leaves: if only some possess these structures, the others are most likely leaflets of a compound leaf. | simple (i)Non-divided leaf, but margin may be incised nearly to the ground  inherited by genus Caltha: simple
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| Shape of blade: (i)Easy for simple leaves. In compound leaves use the general shape of leaflet. Always check the ground for largest leaves of a plant. To be worked out: how to handle pinnate leaves? | round to orbicular (i)Leaf at least as broad as long
example: Pyrola rotundifolia, Caltha  inherited by genus Caltha: round to orbicular
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| Leaf margin: (i)Structure of leaf margin (or that of a leaflet in case of compound leaves). Attention: Here we ask for the leaf margin, defined as all those dissections that separate the leaf for less than one third of its length or width, whatever is smaller. To be worked out: how to handle margin of pinnate leaves? | entire (i)Plain margin, not toothed
example: Iris  inherited by genus Caltha: entire
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| Stipule: (i)Leaflets at the base of the petiole, these are smaller and of different shape. | none (i)Without stipules
example: Euphorbia, Ericaceae s.l. inherited by family Ranunculaceae: none
pair (i)A pair of free stipulae
example: Lathyrus, Trifolium  inherited by genus Caltha: pair
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| Leaf veination: (i)Arrangement of the main veins of a leaf. | pinnate (i)One main vein, several side veins, sometimes inconspicuous
example: Cicerbita    inherited by family Ranunculaceae: pinnate
palmate (i)Several nearly equal main veins united at the point where the petiole inserts
example: Malva  inherited by family Ranunculaceae: palmate
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| Flower (i)reproductive portion of the plant, consisting of sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils | |
| Flower appearance and pollination: (i)General appearance of the flower. | attractive, animal-pollinated (i)attractive and coloured flowers, mostly large, attracting surely animals
example: Trollius, Rosa, Chamaerhodos inherited by family Ranunculaceae: attractive, animal-pollinated
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| Flower colour: (i)Attention: assess colour of the most colourful parts of the flower, but not of the stamens; be aware of single plants with a mutation (mostly white) on flower colour. | yellow to orange (i)Pale to golden yellow
example: Ranunculus, Crepis
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| Perianth arrangement: (i)Attention: in some plants, flowers may be dimorphic in different ways (dioecious or gynodioecious). If flowers vary, record the characters of the most showy flowers. | simple, similar (i)Only one type of perianth leaves (tepals)
example: Tulipa  inherited by genus Caltha: simple, similar
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| Diameter of flower: (i)Diameter of flower or flower head. | from 5 mm to 10 mm (i)
example: Stellaria inherited by genus Caltha:
from 10 mm to 20 mm (i)
example: Potentilla inherited by genus Caltha:
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| Flower symmetry: (i)Symmetry of the perianth leaves. Attention: to assess this character, look on sepals, petals and stamens, but neglect carpels and ovary. | radiary, regular (actinomorphic) (i)More than two axis of symmetry
example: Saxifraga: 5; Iris: 3  inherited by genus Caltha: radiary, regular (actinomorphic)
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| Flower form: (i)common forms of flowers ? Veronica | simple (flat) - Do not confuse with inflorescences as in some Asteraceae (i)Petals spread out, flower appearing flat
example: Mollugo, Trientalis, Pulsatilla, Saxifraga  inherited by genus Caltha: simple (flat) - Do not confuse with inflorescences as in some Asteraceae
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| Sepal fusion: (i)To which degree are the sepal leaves connected? Attention, this character applies only for flowers separated in sepals and petals, thus excluding most monocots. Be aware of the bracts (involucral leaves) of Asteraceae flowerheads, do not qualify these as sepals! | free (i)All leaves separate from each other
example: Geranium inherited by family Ranunculaceae: free
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| Petal / Tepal fusion: (i)To which degree are the petal leaves connected? Petals sympetalous. | free (i)all petal leaves separate from each other
example: Anthriscus inherited by family Ranunculaceae: free
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| Stamen number: (i)Attention: We ask for the reproductive organs of the flower dispersing pollen. Count only fully fertile stamens, not staminodia (e.g. Parnassia). | > 10 (i)
example: Nymphaea, Callianthemum, Rosa inherited by family Ranunculaceae: > 10
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| Stamen fusion: (i)To which degree are the stamens fused? Attention: Whereas the pollen sacs itself are often free., their stalks (filaments) may be fused. Here, we count them as fused if they are together over at least one thirth of their length. | free (i)Stamens with separate bases
example: Malus inherited by family Ranunculaceae: free
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| Carpel number: (i)Number of carpels (carpel: forming a simple pistil or part of a compound pistil, modified leaf). | > 5 inherited by family Ranunculaceae: > 5
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| Carpel fusion: (i)To which degree are the carpels (modified leaf forming simple pistil or part of a compound pistil) fused. | free (i)Carpels entirely free
example: Geum, Aconitum inherited by family Ranunculaceae: free
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| Ovary position: (i)For entirely or partly fused carpels, describe their position in relation to the insertion point of perianth leaves (best done by doing a longitudinal section of a flower). | superior (hypogynous) (i)Base of carpels attached above insertion point of perianth leaves, carpels free or fused
example: Delphinium, Anemone   inherited by order Ranunculales: superior (hypogynous)
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| Sex: (i)Distribution of male and female organs among flowers, only most commonly cases. | bisexual, hermaphrodite (i)All or nearly all flowers of a plant with male and female parts
example: Haplophyllum, Chenopodium inherited by family Ranunculaceae: bisexual, hermaphrodite
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| Fruit (i)the seed bearing organ, with or without adnate parts; a ripened ovary and any other structures which are attached and ripen with it. Aggregate fruits are handled like simple fruits for determination. | |
| Consistency: (i)Fleshy fruits or dry fruits, see dispersal adaptations for further classification. | dry (i)With a dry outer shell, no fleshy parts, but seed (embryo) could be edible inherited by family Ranunculaceae: dry
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| Type of fruit: (i)Common fruit types (including pseudocarp). | Solitary fruits (i)    inherited by genus Caltha: Solitary fruits
follicle (i)A pod arising from a single carpel, opening along a single side (the inner suture to which the seeds are attached)    inherited by genus Caltha: follicle
Dehiscent fruits (i)Fruits open along a longitudinale line (except silicula) inherited by genus Caltha: Dehiscent fruits
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| Opening of fruit: (i)Mode of dehiscence at maturity to release seeds. | opening along dehiscent line (i)Opening along a preformed line
example: Vicia, Lathyrus: pods inherited by family Ranunculaceae: opening along dehiscent line
opening / dehiscent (i)Dry? Fruits opening with different types inherited by family Ranunculaceae: opening / dehiscent
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| Root / shoot below ground (i)plant part below ground (in most cases), including below ground shoots, without leaves | |
| Root type: (i)Organisation of the roots. | allorhizous (i)Plant with a conspicuous tap root, one larger tap root with side roots
example: Dicotyledonae inherited by order Ranunculales: allorhizous
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| Runners: (i)Plant must be excavated; shoots, subterranean shoots connected by runners. | none (i)No runners or stolos visible
example: Dactylorhiza inherited by family Ranunculaceae: none
long root suckers or rhizomes (i)Plants grow new shoots from roots or subterranean shoots, called rhizomes, these spacing stems apart
example: Hippophae, Artemisia sericea inherited by family Ranunculaceae: long root suckers or rhizomes
stolons (i)Plants creep with above-ground shoots (stolons) which can root and establish new plants
example: Potentilla arenaria, P. anserina  inherited by family Ranunculaceae: stolons
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| Storage in below-ground structures: (i)Rhizomes or bulbs. | none (i)Plant with non-thickened roots, their maximum diameter does not exceed the diameter of the shoot base
example: Anabasis brevifolia inherited by family Ranunculaceae: none
storage rhizomes (i)Horizontal, root like structures with scale leaves or their scars, these clearly thicker than the bases of above-ground shoots
example: Petasites, Iris inherited by family Ranunculaceae: storage rhizomes
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| Distribution (i)region where the plant is likely to be found | |
| Distribution (Veg. Zones): (i)acc. to Grubov 1952 | Khubsgul (i)In distribution data often named as '1' 
Khentei (i)In distribution data often named as '2' 
Khangai (i)In distribution data often named as '3' 
Mongol-Daurian (i)In distribution data often named as '4' 
Great Khingan (i)In distribution data often named as '5' 
Depression of Great Lakes (i)In distribution data often named as '10' 
acc. to: Gubanov 1996 |
| Distribution Khangay: (i)acc. Flora Khangaya 1989 | I
III
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