Ranunculus delavayi

[mark smyth]

On Saturday I saw a plant of Ranunculus delavayi growing in a frame. It was huge with the flowers pressed against the glass. To my eye this is a good alternative to R. asiaticus.

Anyone know where I can get a plant? Do you grow it? What conditions does it like?

[Maggi Young]

Ranunculus delavayi .... are you sure of the name? Not familiar to me 

[mark smyth]

That's what Harold McBride called it. I'll check with him

[mark smyth]

He says
"Yes this plant is called Ranunculus delavayii - I cannot find any ref in any book. I have grown it from seed but it has proved difficult. I passed the few I raised last year to the Taylors & some English growers"

[Hans J]

Ranunculus delavayi .... are you sure of the name? Not familiar to me 

Maggi ,

I'm not familar with Ranunculus - but the name Delavay is well know for peony friends : P. delayvayii
This was a french priest who has works in China and Tibet = Pierre Delavay
please look here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Jean_Marie_Delavay

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Hans, yes, I know the origin of the "delavayi" part, which is of interest  to all of us who are grateful to the plant hunters ofthe world...... it was just that I never heard of a ranunculus with that name.... I very much like such plants.... Incarvilea delavayi,  Omphalogramma  etc!

Mark, I bow to the knowledge of my good friend Harold..... I'd be interested to hear if anyone here knows the plant....

[Hans J]

Maggi - I have supposed that you know background .

A other question for Ranunculus :
I have seen before some years in a botanical garden ( in France -near the Col de Lautaret - you will know this Col from cycling ) wonderful plants of Ranunculus ....I believe the name was Ran. narcissiflora -do you know this plants ? ....I have never seen it offered....

[Maggi Young]

Interesting to think of the Col de Lautaret, a famous climb in cycling.... we have Ghent -Wevelgem tomorrow... if the TV will show it as they promise! What will the weather be like... it has rained all day here and is cold...not the weather for cycling,( not even for Luit in the Netherlands, I think )

We have ... or at least we used to have... no sign of such plants as yet this year... a plant we call Anemone narcissiflora..... perhaps this may be the plant, Hans, except that it is an American species ?? It is around 40cms to 60cms tall, dull green  typical ranuculus  leaves, with wide spreading stems of little white flowers on quite long thin petioles.

[Diane Clement]

Ranunculus delavayi .... are you sure of the name? Not familiar to me 

Ranunculus delavayi does not appear as a valid name in the International Plant Name Index (which includes old synonyms but not all modern subspecies), nor in Flora of China which is where a plant with the specific epithet of delavayi would likely be!

... a plant we call Anemone narcissiflora..... perhaps this may be the plant, Hans, except that it is an American species ??

Don't know about that, Maggi, Anemone narcissiflora is a common European mountain plant 

[ranunculus]

Anemone narcissiflora from the Wengen area of Switzerland and the even more beautiful form with pink outer petals....

[Hans J]

Thank you Cliff !

Yes thats the plants that I have seen in this "Jardin Alpine"

Many thanks
Hans

[ranunculus]

Ranunculus delavayi has never crossed my radar either (though Harold is a very, very respected member of the Ranunculaceae Society (is this still in existence)?  I would be EXTREMELY interested to know where this plant hails from and even more interested in a photograph of it.   Harold are you, by chance, a lurker on this wonderful forum?

[ranunculus]

You are more than welcome Hans.  It is puzzling why this beautiful anemone is not more often seen in cultivation.....shorter forms would make super exhibition plants? It can, of course, grow to 50ctms tall in the mountains.

[Afloden]

Ranunculus delavayi may actually be Oxygraphis delavayi which is sometimes included in Ranunculus.

 Aaron Floden
 Knoxville TN

[mark smyth]

Harold doesnt watch the forum but did ask me how to find it. The society is now, alledgedly, in Ranunculaceae heaven