Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Ranunculales
Familia: Ranunculaceae
Subfamilia: Ranunculoideae
Tribus: Ranunculeae
Genus: Ranunculus
Species: Ranunculus asiaticus

Name

Ranunculus asiaticus L., Sp. Pl. 1: 552. 1753.

Synonyms

Homotypic

* Cyprianthe asiatica (L.) Freyn, Prod. Fl. Hisp. (Willkomm & Lange) 3. 942. 1880.

Heterotypic

* Ranunculus asiaticus var. albus Hayek
* Ranunculus asiaticus var. flavus Dörfl.
* Ranunculus asiaticus var. puniceus Dörfl.
* Ranunculus asiaticus var. sanguineus (Mill.) DC.
* Ranunculus asiaticus var. superbissimus Hort.
* Ranunculus sanguineus Mill., Gard. Dict., ed. 8. n. 10. 1768.

References

* Species Plantarum 1:552. 1753
* USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. [1]

Vernacular names
Eesti: Aasia tulikas
Ελληνικά, Κυπριακά : Ρανούνκουλος ο ασιατικός, Προβατάρης
English: Asian buttercup, turban buttercup
עברית: נורית אסיה
Русский: Лютик азиатский
Svenska: Bukettranunkel

Ranunculus asiaticus (Persian Buttercup) is a species of buttercup (Ranunculus) native to the eastern Mediterranean region in southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe (Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes), and northeastern Africa.[1]

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 45 cm tall, with simple or branched stems. The basal leaves are three-lobed, with leaves higher on the stems more deeply divided; like the stems, they are downy or hairy. The flowers are 3–5 cm diameter, variably red to pink, yellow, or white, with one to several flowers on each stem.[2]

It is a protected plant in some jurisdictions, including Israel.

Cultivation and uses

It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens, and widely used in floristry. Numerous cultivars have been selected, including 'Bloomingdale', 'Picotee', 'Pot Dwarf', and 'Superbissima'. The plants can tolerate light frost, but are not hardy at temperatures below -10°C.[2]

References

^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Ranunculus asiaticus
^ a b Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.