Ranunculus peltatus

It is an aquatic plant found in many regions of Italy, but is generally rare, as the typical habitats in which it is found (still or slow-flowing waters) are subject to significant human pressure, which considerably reduces its range. Furthermore, it is a plant that prefers waters with little or no pollution, a factor that further limits its distribution. As mentioned, it grows in still or slow-flowing waters at altitudes between 1,600 and 2,700 metres. In the Aosta Valley, it is a strictly protected species.

During the flowering period, which runs from May to August in mountainous areas, it is easily recognised as it adorns the damp mountain slopes with its numerous white flowers, borne on long peduncles. It is a species characterised by leaf dimorphism, that is, the presence on the same plant of leaves with two different shapes: the leaves that float on the water have a broad, palmate blade, whilst the leaves that remain completely submerged in the water are divided into very fine, hair-like lobes. This characteristic allows it to be distinguished from other similar species, such as Ranunculus aquatilis and Ranunculus tricophyllus.