California Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus)

California buttercup
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Ranunculus
Species:	R. californicus
Binomial name
Ranunculus californicus Benth.

Ranunculus californicus, commonly known as the California buttercup,^[1] is a flowering plant of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is a native of California, where it is common in many habitats, including chaparral and woodlands.

Its distribution extends across many habitats of California, north into Oregon and south into Baja California.^[2] Its reported locations include the islands between British Columbia and Washington, the Channel Islands of California, and the Sierra Nevada.^[3]

Ranunculus californicus grows up to 70 centimetres (2.3 ft) in height. The bright yellow flower is roughly 1–2 centimetres (0.033–0.066 ft) in diameter and has 7 to 22 shiny, teardrop-shaped petals. Each flower grows on a long, green, leafless stem.

Varieties

• Ranunculus californicus var. californicus ^[4]
• Ranunculus californicus var. cuneatus ^[5]

Ranunculus californicus is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for use in native plant gardens.^[6]

• List of California native plants

Notes

Sources

• Munz, Philip A. (2003). Introduction to Shore Wildflowers of California, Oregon, and Washington. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ranunculus californicus.

• CalFlora Database: Ranunculus californicus (Botta's clarkia, punch bowl godetia)
• Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Ranunculus californicus
• U.C. Photo gallery — Ranunculus californicus

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