One of its vernacular names is ‘Sitfast’, and that’s exactly what it does. The plant is native in the UK and to the rest of Europe, North Africa and Asia, but has been spread to other parts of the world, often as an ornamental plant, and is now sometimes considered a nuisance. It prefers wet soil (Ranunculus means ‘little frog’) and my father taught me to be careful in areas with lots of buttercups if I wanted to avoid getting my feet wet. This is the only common species of buttercup that is likely to still be putting forth blooms in October, but to seal the identification it’s worth noting that the sepals (the green parts which once contained the bud) are spreading, and the stalk of the plant is grooved.Īs its name suggests, creeping buttercup spreads by runners that root to form new plants. In a whole raft of foliage in a clearing, there was just one solitary plant in flower. ![]() But by the autumn, only a few creeping buttercups are left, and are all the more precious for their rarity. Reproduced with permission.Dear Readers, in the spring the cemetery is positively awash with buttercups of all kinds. © John Buitenkant 1993, National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers, Inc. Various alpine species of buttercups can be planted in rock gardens. aquatilis), are sometimes cultivated in garden pools. Aquatic buttercups, such as the water crowfoot ( R. asiaticus), available in varieties with white, red, or yellow-colored flowers. The most commonly used species for this purpose is the garden buttercup ( R. arvensis).Ī few species of buttercups are used in horticulture. repens), and the corn crowfoot or hunger-weed ( R. Some of the more familiar introduced species are the tall or meadow buttercup ( R. Several species of Eurasian buttercups have been introduced to North America where they have become widespread weeds of lawns, fields, and other disturbed places. Many native species of buttercups occur in alpine and arctic tundras, for example, the Lapland buttercup ( R. ![]() cymbalaria) occurs in salt marshes and estuaries. gmelini) is a widespread species of freshwater marshes and shores, while the seashore-buttercup ( R. The wood buttercup ( Ranunculus abortivus) is a widespread species of rich, temperate forests. ![]() Many species of buttercups are native to North America. ![]() The fruits are loose heads of one-seeded fruits called achenes. There are usually five sepals, but these generally fall off the flower relatively soon. The petals secrete nectar, important in attracting the insects that are the pollinators of most buttercups. However, some species have red or white petals. The flowers of most species of buttercups are radially symmetric and showy, owing to their large, yellow petals. The flowers of buttercups have numerous stamens and pistils, arranged in a spiral fashion on a central axis. Some of the aquatic buttercups have dimorphic foliage, with delicately divided leaves in the water, and distinctly broader leaves in the atmosphere. However, the underwater leaves of aquatic buttercups can be very finely divided. The leaves of terrestrial species are simple or compound. Buttercups are annual or perennial, and they are herbaceous plants, dying back to the ground surface before the winter.
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