Why Does a Ranunculus Have Flowers?

Ranunculus is the botanical name for the common, yellow buttercup.

Ranunculus, or buttercup, is a genus of flowering plants containing about 600 species found worldwide in temperate zones. All flowering plants, including ranunculus, produce flowers for the same reason -- reproduction. Their function is to produce fertile seeds, ensuring the survival of the plant species over time.

Ranunculus Flowers

Flowers are composed of several distinct parts. Ranunculus usually have five sepals, or leaf-like bud covers. Each flower has five white or yellow petals that help attract pollinators. At each flower's base is the ovary, where seeds develop. The flower's female and male sexual organs are in the center.

Ranunculus Pollination

Since reproduction is the reason for ranunculus flowers; pollination, the process by which fertilization takes place, is important. Ranunculus is pollinated by insects. The stigma, in the flower's center, receives and holds pollen on its sticky surface. It is connected to the ovary by the tube-like style.

When Flowering Finishes

After a few days of flowering, petals shrivel and fall off, leaving the ovaries, which hold the fertilized ova. The seeds mature and ripen. Eventually the ovary dries and cracks open, allowing seed distribution.

References

• "The Totanical Garden"; Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix; 2002
• "The Practical Botanist"; Rick Imes; 1990